Million Reasons
by 0MoonPrincess0
Summary: Sage is someone who isn't easily scared or impressed. So when she crashes her car against a giant mutant turtle she is quick to take care of him until he's properly healed. Little did she know that, by allowing him and his family into her heart, her entire life as she knew was about to change. Romance, adventure and a lot of fantasy awaits our favorite four brothers.
1. Chapter 1 - Bad Luck

**1\. Bad Luck**

 _"The only good luck many great men ever had was being born with the ability and determination to overcome bad luck."_

 _\- Channing Pollock_

Sage did one last stitch on a young Rottweiler and then put away her tools, feeling fairly satisfied with the final result. It was sheer perfection if she could say so herself. Stitching up was always something she'd been great at, and today she'd finished rather quickly too. _Roger_ , said five month dog, would still be out for at least another half hour. Maybe she had exaggerated on the anesthesia, but rather that than have him waking up in the middle of the procedure and have to go through with it in pain.

The poor creature was found by his owner nearly stoned to death, in an alley, by either some very cruel people or a bunch of kids who thought they were funny. By the time he'd gotten to her clinic, _Roger_ was barely breathing and his heartbeat slowed down by the second. Only a miracle had kept him alive for so long. Well, a miracle and Sage.

She hated to witness suffering, it brought a vile taste to her mouth. Animals were innocent creatures. They were clever and sharp but they weren't rational, most of the time they didn't know any better. On the other hand, humans were did. They were aware of their actions and they knew right from wrong, or at least they should. Hurting harmless beings was the most explicit proof of mankind's cruelty. It wasn't enough to kill each other amongst themselves but they also found the need to turn to animals as well.

Tossing a disposable mask into the trashcan by the corner, after asking her intern to slowly move _Roger_ back to his cage, Sage stepped into the waiting room, where she met with a very anxious Mrs. Gilbert. The woman was built like a brick wall. She was tall and burly, with a jawline that any man would be envious of. The few other people in the room were watching Mrs. Gilbert warily, either intimidated by her presence or in awe. Sage was neither. She had known Mrs. Gilbert since her sixteen years, and she was the kindest, most compassionate woman in whole New York.

Mrs. Gilbert sprung from her seat as soon as she saw her. "Sage! How is he? Is he alright? Did he make it?" She urged worriedly.

"Please settle down, Mrs. Gilbert. Here – have a seat." Sage gestured for the chair which Mrs. Gilbert reluctantly took again, barely touching the edge as she looked at her pale as a ghost. " _Roger_ was quite critical, he suffered multiple fractures to his limbs, a twisted ankle and an internal bleeding that required immediate surgery. The procedure went smoothly and I do believe the worst is over, but it will all depend on how he will react when he wakes up from the anesthesia."

The giant woman drew in a quivering breath, bringing one hand to her racing heart and closing her eyes.

"Thank God!" She sighed. She grabbed Sage's small delicate hands in between her larger ones, peering up at her with something close to adoration. It warmed up her chest. "Bless you, my dear. I don't know what I would've done if he... if he...!"

Sage rubbed her meaty shoulder comfortingly. She hated when people cried on her. "Come on now, Mrs. Gilbert, none of that, aye? Thankfully you brought him in just in time. You did well; very well in fact. So I don't wish to see any more bawling."

Mrs. Gilbert nodded faintly, sniffing loudly. "Now go home and have some well-deserved rest. You can come back first thing in the morning and I'll call you in case anything changes."

"Yeah... resting sounds like about heaven right now... Thanks again, Sage. How much do I owe ya?" Mrs. Gilbert reached for her purse but Sage stopped her, shaking her head with a small smile.

"After everything you've done for my mom this one is on me, alright? Just do me a favor and try to have some real sleep, and we'll call it even," she said, getting a hint of a chuckle from Mrs. Gilbert, who complied and stood up to take her leave. No one gawked or grimaced as she left the clinic like they probably had when she first came in. That alone was another victory in Sage's eyes. Everyone should really work on being less judgmental.

"Alright then." Sage moved towards a little girl with two short pigtails. She was hugging a hamster cage protectively to her chest. Sage flashed her a sweet smile to bring her out of her uneasiness. "Come on, Katie; your turn now. You can tell me all about that stomachache our lovely _Whiskers_ has been having."

* * *

 ** _"Coming up next: the famous vigilante known as the Nightwatcher strikes again. A gang was detained while attempting to rob one of New York's most VIP banks. The police officers, who arrived at the scene late as per usual nowadays, were met with two of the robbers tied up and hanging from a street lamp, plus a third one knocked out over a truck._**

 ** _"Witnesses at the spot claim to have caught but a glimpse of..."_**

Mikey grinned widely at the screen barely containing his enthusiasm and admiration. "Hey, Donnie! He did it again! The Nightwatcher caught the bad guys again!"

Donatello slid a pair of old, rusty, welding goggles away from his eyes settling them over his forehead. He was in serious need of a break from his work. The new upgrade he was working on for their shellcells was starting to give him a headache. He fixed him with a look, waving around a screwdriver in a scolding manner.

"We've already gone through this before, Mikey, that masked nutshell is no hero. He's just some loser who wants his minute of fame under the spotlight." He scowled down at the tool in his hand, an eye ridge furrowing. "There's nothing heroic in advertising himself like that."

"Oh come on! All comic heroes show up on the news," Mikey said. He was hard on the head and there was no one who could talk him out of the idea that Nightwatcher was some kind of superhero.

"This isn't a comic book... this is real life, Mikey."

"Spoken like a true leader, huh?"

They both glanced upstairs, where a suddenly very sober and awake Raphael stood leaning over the railing of the upper level. Donnie glanced to his watch and back up again.

"It's half past eight pm, Raph. Have you seriously been sleeping until now?"

"Get off my shell, Donnie." Raph stretched his arms over his head as he made his way down the stairs. He grabbed an apple from a fruit basket on the dinning table and took a generous bite before facing Donnie. "I'm headin' out. Don't wait up."

"Again?" Mikey tilted his head to the side, but he couldn't really say he was surprised. Raphael had been wandering out of the lair every night since the beginning of the year. Pretty much since, well... since Leonardo left. Their father was being suspiciously careful about the whole thing. They could tell his behavior wasn't exactly approved but Master Splinter firmly insisted in staying out of it, and he wanted them to stay out of it as well.

"I would love to know what exactly do you do out there every night," Donatello commented, watching him suspiciously. "You can't be working that's for sure. There's not a single pound coming in from you."

"Oh I'm workin' alright, I just ain't tellin' you on what. Yo, Mikey, here - think fast!" Raph tossed the apple's core at his little brother's head with a mischievous smirk, hitting him right in the forehead. Mikey whimpered loudly only adding to his amusement. "Sorry, bro, next time think faster."

Raphael sneaked out of the lair, his booming laughter echoing through the walls just before the doors closed automatically behind him.

"Yeah, you better run! Stupid hothead..." he mumbled, rubbing the sore spot on his forehead. He stared hard at the door for a few minutes. "Hey, Donnie?"

The purple masked turtle, who had resumed his work in the meantime, replied with an absent 'huh-huh'.

"Ever wondered what Raph's doin' out there?"

"Sure. I wonder and I worry every time he walks out that door, and who wouldn't? Raph's just one of those guys that seems to get in trouble anywhere he goes y'know. It comes as easily as breathing for him." Donnie connected the wrong cable to the cell. The sudden jolt of spark gave him a fright and he jumped back with a curse. He breathed in to collect himself.

"And then he comes home after dawn breaks, and he sleeps all day only to go out again as soon as it gets dark, sometimes he comes in with bruises too... I don't know, Mikey, I really don't... Leo was usually the one who could get through to him. He could keep Raph on a short leash - I can't."

Mikey's gentle blue eyes softened behind his mask. He walked over to his concerned brother and brought a hand to his stiff shoulder in a futile, yet appreciated, attempt to comfort him.

"You're doing the best you can, Donnie," he said, "stop being so harsh on yourself."

When Donnie shrugged indifferently, Mikey frowned. Donnie was getting more and more depressed lately. Not just him, but Splinter too. He hated seeing them like that. He looked as if everyone was struggling to keep things moving forward without Leo except him. Sure he had gone and gotten a part-time as party animator so that Donnie wouldn't have to be the only one working his shell off to pay April and Casey for the food supplies and all of the other necessities they brought to the lair every other week. But it still didn't feel enough.

On another note, Raphael might have it easier than him. After all, it wasn't him who was getting his tail kicked by a bunch of annoying, rude, loud, obnoxious kids. Mikey shuddered. For someone who had always loved kids, he was beginning to evaluate his choice of career. _Tsk, Raph wouldn't last a day in my shoes!_ He smirked.

It was then he was struck by an idea. A rather brilliant idea.

"You know what? I think I'm goin' out too." Mikey grabbed his old skateboard out of the closet and headed for the outter sewer exit, where Raph had disappeared through.

"Yeah, alright - WAIT, WHAT?!" Mikey winced when the hammer slammed the desk instead of its target.

"Uh, I'm headin' out. But I promise I'm not gonna get into any trouble!" he called out as he ran before Donnie could stop him. Tonight they were going to finally find out what was going on with Raphael.

* * *

Sage shook her wet hair vigorously, water flickering in every direction, including on her mother's antique mirror in the foyer. She smiled sheepishly at the pale woman's scowl.

"Honestly..." Hannah Blythe sighed exasperatedly. The faint dust of brown freckles on her cheeks stood out against the flushing of her alabaster skin. "First, you get here nearly an hour late when you didn't even bother calling to let us know. And now!, now you come in looking like that! You two look like a pair of drenched rats!"

Sage rolled her eyes while shrugging off her soaking emerald green coat before hurrying her son out of his raincoat as well. "Sorry, Ma, but there was an emergency at work, and in my defense it started pouring down right after we got out of the car."

"There is always an emergency with you, isn't there?" Hannah couldn't help breaking into a resigned smile when her daughter gingerly shoved a piece of hair behind her ear, looking every bit guilty as she felt. "Well come on then. Let's get you two into the kitchen where it's toasty and warm. I think my roast beef could use a few more minutes in the oven but I baked some butterscotch cookies this afternoon. You can have some if you want, love."

Damian beamed at his affectionate grandmother. "Oh yes granny, I would love some! Can I, mommy? Please!"

"Hmmm...! I don't know..." She pretended to think over it, tapping a thin delicate finger against her chin. The little boy shuffled anxiously on his feet. The action made her heart throb. _Oliver used to do that_.

"Oh alright, you can have some. But easy on them, okay? You gotta have room in that tiny stomach for supper."

"I will!"

Both women chuckled as they stepped into the wide kitchen. Like the rest of the estate, it was elegantly decorated, and it was equipped with the latest technology in cuisine appliances. It was cozy and inviting as well. The walls in a modest beige made for a perfect contrast with the dark cherry wood of the cabinets and the counters, giving the proper emphasis to the chromatic shades of the sophisticated stove and oven. It wasn't all for looks of course. Her mother, Hannah, was a professional Chef. If she was to work in a kitchen, even at her own house, it was only expected to meet her most exquisite abilities.

Her father was sitting at the table, hunching over piles of scattered papers. His round glasses were dangling dangerously low on the tip of his nose, and his thick and neatly trimmed black moustache had a few stubborn crumbs stuck to it.

 _Some things never change_ , Sage thought with a smile. She hugged him from behind and gave him a loud kiss on his scruffy cheek, startling him out of his concentration.

"Sage! How good to see you, my dear daughter! I didn't even hear you come in!" William stood up to gather her in his lanky arms.

"I know you didn't, you never do." She chuckled. After briefly enjoying the warmth of his body, even if the wool of his old hand knitted cardigan scratched her cheek, Sage pulled away so she could lean over the table to take a look at the papers he was reading. "What are you working on?"

William shoved his glasses a bit further up as he gave his grandson a one-arm hug. He walked back to her and after fumbling with the papers for a bit he handed her one of them.

"An old friend's daughter is working on an exhibition for the ancient history museum downtown and she asked if I could help her with the background of the pieces," he said. "I do find it very interesting but these old parchments are giving me a bit of a headache."

"It's Old Norse, isn't it?" Sage asked curiously.

"Yes and an incredibly primitive form of it for that matter."

"I can see that, they were still using Proto-Germanic runes... I would say these are Old Gutnish, which might explain why you're having such a hard time with them. Your ancient Swede is terrible, Da." Sage smirked when her father lifted his eyebrows amused. She scanned another old parchment. It was yellowing and fading around the edges, the runes had vanished nearly entirely.

"Can you read it?"

"Hum... I can try but it's really difficult... let's see: ' _(...) and the Trickster met his fate at last. Our Almighty Lord, All-Father, has spoken, and he shall be imprisoned. To three boulders forever chained he shall be. One over his shoulders, one over his loins and one over his knees, until atoned for his misdoings he becomes or the element of his divinity slithers away from his grasp (...)'_." Sage faced her father, "that's all I can get."

William scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Well, the All-Father is clearly Odin."

"And the Trickster is Loki, the mischievous god. I would bet the scribe is writing about Loki's sentence for murdering Balder, Odin's most cherished son."

"Interesting..."

"Yes yes, it's all very interesting as usual." Hannah shooed them away from the kitchen table as she came in from the living room with a beaming Damian hot on her tail. His hands and corners of his mouth were smeared with butterscotch from his grandmother's cookies. "What do I always say? No-"

"No talking about work during our family Sunday nights," Sage cut off with a smile, kissing her cheek. "We know, Ma."

"Good. Now scram you two, food's ready."

"Wait, what about Rowan and Karen?"

"Your sister is in Kentucky for the week, John's mother is in the hospital with a broken leg."

Sage chuckled, shaking her head. "That woman's gonna get herself killed one of these days. She's been to the hospital twice this month."

"She's a tough one, that Jane," William said.

"Well that might be true but it doesn't mean she's made of steel. The farm makes due perfectly fine with her two caretakers, there's no need for her to bend over herself taking care of it." Hannah frowned but then made a gesture as if saying 'oh well what can you do'. "And your brother called half an hour ago, telling me he can't make it tonight."

"Again?"

"Apparently..."

Sage felt her heart clench at her mother's sadness. The crease in between her honey colored eyebrows thickened and the wrinkles on the corners of her mouth deepened with her frown.

Things hadn't been the same since three years ago. Sage often had the vague and terrifying feeling that her family was slowly drifting apart, each day a little more. First, her sister and her husband had moved out of Manhattan with their kids so now they rarely ever saw each other, especially because Karen's job as a surgeon took up most of her time. Then, her brother stayed out all night without telling word to a bloody soul where he went or what he was doing, and no one knew of him during the day either. He acted like a bat.

 _Or a vampire_.

She snorted internally. Her brother was the furthest thing from a vampire possible though; he was down at the beach during summer.

"Don't worry about him, Ma," Sage said, hugging her. "I'm sure he's fine."

"I hope so, love. I really do."

* * *

Mikey yawned loudly, the action bringing tears to the corners of his eyes. He was sitting on top of the IMG building, swinging his legs back and forth off the edge of the roof while trying to catch a glimpse of his older brother's dark silhouette moving stealthily through the top of the city, but it was proving useless. He had lost him soon after they were out of the sewers and, even though he thought he'd been very close on his tail more than once or twice, Raphael was a hard one to catch. Well, when he put himself up to it at least.

Although he was no match for the great Mikey of course, he smirked.

His stomach growled. "Bahh! I'm hungry! Isn't there any pizza parlor still open? I'm feelin' pepperoni and extra cheese tonight!" He jumped into a crouch, looking down at the busy streets until something caught his eye. A young woman was making her way towards an old alley and she was wearing an eccentric and expensive fur coat. She was practically a walking beacon for thugs, and, sure enough, two dark figures quickly followed after her.

"Well, what do we have here? I guess it's time to kick some shells." Mikey moved quietly and invisible, climbing down the building and into the alley just as the two thugs ganged on the lady. They grabbed her from behind and put a knife against her throat.

"Give us the coat an' all yer money, lady, an' everythin' goes nice an' easy," the tallest one said in a gruff voice.

The woman was about to scream but the other thug pressed the blade harder, drawing a thin line of blood. "Don't even t'ink 'bout it, ugly hag!"

"Ugly? Have you checked yourself in the mirror lately, pal?" Michelangelo materialized from the shadows and, in one swift motion, he kicked the man with the knife knocking him down. He looked at him with a raised eye ridge, twirling playfully and threateningly his nun chucks. "You might give the lady a run for it if I say so."

If the lady was offended she showed no signs of it as she ran off, speeding away from the alley. Mikey rolled his eyes. "No thanks, uh? Humf, typical! Wow!" He moved out of the way just in time to miss the other attacker who lunged at him with a knife unsheathed. The thug growled angrily. "Someone's got a bit of a temper, I see! Well, if you wanna do this the hard way... ah yah!"

They danced around with Mikey always evading the thugs' attacks, his feet making absolutely no sound while the other's thumped furiously against the ground. Mikey chuckled, swinging a nun chuck around the guy's neck and flipping him over the shoulder, where he landed with a nasty thud. He was surprised when he was thrown off his feet by the same guy, but he recovered quickly and punched him strategically in the jaw, effectively knocking him out.

Mikey turned around in a haste. He had briefly forgotten there were two of them, not just one. He found the spot where the thug's body had fallen empty. His warning bells went off. He assumed a defensive stance, scanning his surroundings.

Four more creeps suddenly jumped into the alley, surrounding him in a close-knit circle. Each of them had a Swiss knife and they were ready to plunge them into his chest.

"You're one ov' them freaks, aren'tcha?" One of them asked with a sneer. "I heard the Purple Dragons talkin' 'boutcha."

Mikey snorted. "Glad to know I'm that famous."

"Funny one, huh? Well let's see if yer still funny after we cut off yer freaky amphibious head an' bring it t' them!"

"I'd like to see you try!" Mikey leapt when two dashed towards him and they crashed into each other. "Oh and by the way; I'm a reptile, you shellhead!"

They fought him with hard punches and kicks, but they were clumsy. No match for a ninjitsu master for sure. Michelangelo fought all of them, barely even making use of his weapons until only the one who'd spoken, who seemed to be the leader, was still up. He dodged a punch, blocked a kick and easily evaded his attempt to trip him over. But then the thug stopped and smirked. It was one of those yellowish, vile smirks that made the back of Mikey's neck sweaty, and suddenly he felt a stab on his side and the hot blood splurting down his right leg.

His eyesight blurred, spotting. His limbs, legs and arms began tingled worriedly.

"Oh shell..."

* * *

The rain had finally stopped by the time Sage and Damian left her parents' house but it was chilly. So they hurried to her relatively new red Chevy Impala and, as soon as they were inside, Sage turned on the heater, getting a rather content sigh from the little one.

She drove through the well-lit busy streets of New York swiftly. There was hardly any traffic at that time, which was a good thing too because Sage was dying to get home and go straight to bed and catch some z's. She had been sleeping a miserable number of four hours the last couple weeks and it seemed it was finally catching up to her. She could feel her eyes heavy and a weight over her head.

Sometimes she wondered how her life would've turned out if she had decided to follow her father's footsteps instead of making her own path. That teaching job she was offered four years ago by Princeton's Department of History didn't sound too shabby right now and if it was still on the table she might've actually considered taking it. Sage loved her job, more than anything in fact, and she had fought her father for her choice of career with teeth and nails, but with Damian in the picture she was struggling with not having enough time to spend with him. He was always at daycare or with a babysitter. They barely had any chance of going out or doing something fun just the two of them as a family. There was also the fact that Damian was different that the other children. He was special. He needed her even more because of that.

Sage chewed on her bottom lip, checking up on him in the review mirror. He met her eyes and flashed her an enormous pearly white grin that immediately warmed her up to the very core.

They jolted abruptly when something crashed against the bumper car, flying over the hood and landing on the other side. Sage swallowed a yelp for the sake of her son who had caught his breath whimpering when she hit the brakes full force.

"Holy shit!" She cursed under her breath. Taking a deep intake, she took off the seatbelt and opened the door to get out. "Stay put and don't do anything unless I say so, okay?" Damian nodded, dazzled and dumbstruck by the impact but he ignored her and took off the seatbelt anyway.

Sage rushed towards the lump of flesh laying limp on the asphalt, praying to herself that she hadn't killed anyone or anything alive. The person was still heaving up and down which came as relief. She crouched down next to it and gingerly rolled it over, gawking at the sight of green leathery skin, yellow plastron and big shell.

Was she dreaming or had she run over an actual living giant humanoid turtle?

She was trying not to freak out when the _turtle_ released an agonizing whimper and winced away from its right side. Sage quickly noticed the deep gash in its ribs, bleeding at an alarming speed.

"Okay," she breathed, running a trembling hand over her hair. "Okay, get a hold of yourself, Sage. It doesn't matter that it's a giant turtle, it doesn't matter at all. It's just another living being and he needs help." She drew another deep breath. "Okay."

Sage swung one of his bulky arms over her shoulders and struggled to bring him up. He was built like a SWAT and heavy as a mammoth she noticed as she wobbled clumsily towards her car. She feared being trampled by him if she accidentally lost her foot but with a lot of strength and even more stubbornness she managed to reach the car and open the back door.

Damian's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. "What-"

"No time for explanations!" she cut him off short out of air. "Scoot to the front before I get squashed to death!"

Damian was fast in moving. Sage dropped the hurt turtle into the back seat, squeezing his long legs into the car so that she could close the door and then hurried inside as well, starting the engine and speeding down the road the fastest she could without breaking the speed limit. Another speed ticket was the last thing she needed.

She sparred a moment to watch Damian who was propped on his knees hugging the headrest gaping while staring at the figure in the back. He wasn't wearing the seatbelt. She scowled.

"Is that a giant turtleman?"

Sage hesitated. "Yes, yes it is."

Damian stared at her for a heartbeat. "Can we keep him?"

She chuckled, part of her tension dissipating.

* * *

Raphael was fuming by the time dawn broke and he got home.

First, he wasted half an hour - maybe more, he didn't know - losing his brother who had the terrific idea of chasing after him, which wasn't exactly a picnic in the park because Michelangelo might be a brainless idiot but he was the fastest of them. Then, when he finally went on with his duty as the Nightwatcher and when he was all pumped up to knock out the gang that was robbing a jewelry store he found some idiot in a green costume already on it.

 _Emerald Fist..._ Raph snorted humorlessly. _Emerald idiot was more like it!_ Who did that guy think he was, intruding on Nightwatcher's territory like that? Those were his streets, his fights, his bad guys. He didn't need any help dealing with the crime in New York. He was more than fine on his own, had been since Leonardo had abandoned them for his own egoistical search of spiritual enlightenment.

He stepped into the lair, stretching his arms over his head, cracking his bones. Boy, he was sore.

He was expecting to be alone. Normally everyone was asleep by the time he got in but tonight he was surprised to find Donnie still awake. His brother was pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back. He was furrowing his eye ridge, scowling. He was worried, Raphael noticed.

"Mornin'," he mumbled quietly in an attempt to slither away and find peace and quietness in his room. Luck wasn't on his side however.

"Raph!" Donatello promptly walked up to him, blocking his way by grabbing him by the shoulders and facing him dead in the eye. "Did you see Mikey out there? He left right after you and I'm pretty sure he was following you too."

"Yeah, I saw 'im alright. Damn kid should be minding his own business. Why ya let 'im go after me?"

Donnie expressed outrage. "I didn't let him do anything! He was outta the lair before I could say a word!" He stopped to take a calming breath before asking, "well, where is he then?"

"How de hell should I know?"

"You just said you saw him!"

Raphael went around his brother and started up the stairs to his room. "Yeah, so? I saw him, lost him and haven't seen him since."

"Lost him? LOST HIM?! You mean he's out there on his own?! Raph, how could you!"

"Oh get a hold of yourself, Donnie," he replied, raising his voice. "Mikey's old enough t' go 'round on his own. I'm sure he's fine."

"We're talking about the same Mikey who nearly got himself killed by the Foot twice last month."

Raphael hesitated by the door with a sudden twinge of guilt tugging at the bottom of his heart. Maybe Donnie was right; he shouldn't have left Mikey alone like that. Who knows what kind of trouble he would get into?

"Look, he's probably wit' Casey by now, and if he ain't then he's definitely tryin' t' buy some pizza fer breakfast. I'll go look fer 'im if he ain't back by noon, a'ight?"

"You better!" Donnie called out as he disappeared into his room and fell on his bed with a sigh. He was just going to rest for a couple hours and then he'd go after Michelangelo. After all, he couldn't be into that much trouble if the city was all still intact and there was nothing about collapsing buildings or explosions on the news.


	2. Chapter 2 - Friendship

**2\. Friendship**

 _"Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light."_

 _\- Hellen Keller_

Every single bone in his body was aching, even the tiniest of his toes. Not that he had many. The pain coming from his right side was stronger than the rest though, and it was worse when he tried to move.

He opened his eyes slowly, hoping to find the grey ceiling of Donnie's lab at the lair, but instead he was met with a white and rather fancy-looking chandelier with spheres hanging down. Bringing a reluctant hand to rub the sleep off his face, he tensed as he wearily observed the rest of the unfamiliar room. The walls were painted in a soft shade of lilac and the floor was dark. There was a big window and a balcony with lacy silver curtains, the same color as the blankets keeping him warm in a wide king-sized bed.

"Woaa," he drawled as his head began to pound harshly, "dude... where the shell am I?"

A pile of clothing sitting on a _chaise long_ near the bed suddenly stirred and then sat up. Mikey was speechless as he gawked at the two very peculiar and curious pair of eyes blinking rapidly while staring at him. The boy broke into a grin and jumped off the chair, starling him.

"You're finally awake! MOM! The turtleman woke up!" he called out, walking over to the bed. "Are you okay now? You were asleep for three days, you know."

Mikey didn't say anything. Mostly because he couldn't really find the words, or his voice for that matter. He wasn't used to having children so at ease with him when he was out of his mascot outfit.

"Give him space, D, he's scared." He followed the sound and saw her leaning against the doorway with arms crossed over her chest, giving him a mildly amused and kind smile. She was short and lean, he noticed, with soft but taunting curves. Her long hair was dark, reminding him of rich dark chocolate, and adoringly curly, framing a beautiful heart-shaped face where a pair of eyes the color of the ocean was watching him with mirth. In the pit of his mind, Mikey couldn't help thinking she was quite possibly the most attractive woman he'd ever seen.

"Hey there... how are you feeling?"

Mikey cleared his throat. "Oh uh... sore, I guess... but I've had worse days," he answered cautiously.

"After seeing all those scars, I believe you wholeheartedly. What about that wound of yours? C'mon, let me have a look at it." The woman sat beside him on the bed, moving the covers away from his body. Michelangelo flinched with the cold air but it was nothing like when she touched his ribs, bringing forth a much worse kind of pain. It felt like a thousand needles piercing through his skin. She took off the bloodied bandage and replaced it with a clean one after oiling his wound with something that smelled worse than the sewers. She chuckled when he wrinkled his nose. "I know it's horrible, but it'll help – I swear. The worst part is over. I managed to prevent the infection in time, you were lucky to have been out only for three days."

"Thanks." He lowered his head back on the pillow. "I can't remember anything... how did you find me?"

She tugged a dark lock behind her ear, looking sheepish. "I'm afraid I run you over with my car... Sorry about that."

Mikey chuckled. "That's okay. I think you saving my shell pays it off."

A guttural growl echoed through the room and Michelangelo found himself blushing once he realized it was his stomach. She laughed good-naturedly, rising to her feet and stepping out of the room. When she came back, she was carrying a silver tray with a bowl of hot soup, a couple of ham sandwiches and a water pitcher with a glass.

"Here. I figured you would be hungry. Damian help him sit, will you?" After the little boy helped him into a half decent sitting position, she settled the tray on his lap. Michelangelo didn't have to be told twice, he immediately slurped the soup down and attacked the first sandwich. "I'm Sage by the way, and this is my son, Damian."

"Mwfewangewo," he muffled out through a mouthful. She chuckled when he blushed again. He swallowed the food loudly. "Sorry. I said my name's Michelangelo, but you can call me Mikey."

Sage flashed him a dazzling pearly white smile. "Nice to meet you, Mikey. So is there anyone you would like to phone? When you were down with a fever you kept calling out for a Leo... is that it?"

"Oh." Mikey looked down at his hands, trying hard not to look sad yet failing miserably. "No... I mean yeah, I got someone I should call, but I don't know the number and I lost my phone when I was attacked..."

"I see. Well, that's too bad because you can't go anywhere this week with those injuries and even then only depending on how you heel. I've never taken care of a humanoid reptile before, so I can't really be sure how you'll react to some of the medication..."

"You mean I can stay? Here, with you?"

Damian grinned from ear to ear. "Of course you can! Right, mom?"

"Sure, I'm not throwing you out of my house if that's what you're afraid of," she said with a smirk.

"It's just that most people I meet don't really want someone like me around them, much less crashing at their place..."

She waved a dismissing hand. "Oh please, it takes more than a little difference to scare me off."

"Why?" He regarded her thoughtfully, trying to figure out this woman, who had willingly brought him – a _freak_ , for lack of a better term – into her own place and who was worried enough to care for his wounds and save his life. Aside from April and Casey, there weren't many humans out there who could look at him like she was looking. As if he was normal.

"I don't know," she answered truthfully as she stared with deep sea green eyes into his own, "maybe I'm weird."

They shared a kindred smile.

"Yeah, mom, you're really weird," Damian chirped in, grinning mischievously.

Sage shot him a look. "Oh so you think I'm weird? I'm not the one who likes pickles with ketchup."

Mikey wrinkled his nose. "Pickles with ketchup? Really, little dude?"

"What? It's good, you should try! And mom eats French fries with ice cream. Now that's gross."

"It is not!" Sage stood up, chuckling at Mikey's nauseous face. She patted her son on his bum. "Come on you, time for bed. Mikey needs his rest and you have school early tomorrow."

Damian pouted but did as his mother told him to. He hopped out of the room with a friendly wave towards Mikey over his shoulder, who waved back just as nicely. When Sage moved to follow him, Mikey stopped her. She fixed him with entrancing clear eyes that, for the slightest of moments, made his heart jump in place.

He cleared his throat. "Thanks... for this, y'know... not many people would do this for... well, something like me I guess."

"I'm not quite like most people." She gave him a heart-warming smile, "but you're very welcome. Now do try and get some rest, alright Mikey?"

After she was gone, Mikey fell back against the soft purple pillows of the large bed with an exhausted sigh. In the back of his mind, he felt a nibbling guilt for having stolen her bed.

 _Yeah_ , he chuckled. She was most definitely not like most people.

* * *

"I'm not joking, Raph! It's been almost two weeks and there's still no sign of Mikey! You better start doing a better job at looking for him and find him once and for all or so help me god I will-"

"You will what?" Raphael cut his brother off, standing dangerously close to his beak. "What are you gonna do exactly, huh Don?"

Donnie closed his hands tightly, fingernails digging into the leathery skin of his palms. He inhaled deeply but turned his head to the other side, looking down at the ground as he wanted to avoid conflict.

"Yeah. Thought so." He walked off to leave the lair.

"He's our brother," Donatello called after him. "That used to mean something to you."

Raph didn't give him an answer, not because he didn't have one but because he didn't like hurting Donnie. He didn't deserve to be hurt despite of how much it annoyed him that he kept trying to take over Leo's place. He knew Donnie was only acting like that because he was being forced to step up and take charge of his family. Their master's gruff voice stopped him dead in his tracks.

"My son." Splinter sounded so tired, so worn out... It was as if he was a hundred years old and time was finally catching up to him.

"Mastah Splinter." Raph bowed his head respectfully.

Splinter lowered his ears, watching him with sad beady eyes. "Your torment will not end if you insist on keeping it to yourself."

"Yes, Mastah," he muttered through a clenched jaw as he took the opportunity to run out of the lair, moving swiftly in the shadows.

Donatello heaved a desperate sigh, letting himself fall over the arm of the couch, bringing a hand to rub his face, eventually pressing the bridge of his nose when the all too familiar feeling of a horrible migraine began to throb. The faint, yet firm, touch of Splinter's furry hand on his stiff shoulder jolted him. He looked up at his father, only to find him mirroring his worry.

"Raphael may be going through a difficult time but I am certain he is trying very hard to find Michelangelo," he said soothingly. An attempt of comfort for both of them.

"I know that… but it's been so long since Mikey went after him, Master, and we can't find him anywhere. I can't even get a sign from his shellcell. It's as if he disappeared out of thin air."

"Your worries are my own, Donatello. All we can do for now is search and hope that nothing bad has come to him."

* * *

April made her way through the jungle with difficulty, fighting the wilderness with her brand new katana. She was panting and sweating from everywhere. Her underwear was a mile up her but and her hair couldn't be any frizzier.

This was not a good day.

She had taken a flight to South America because the situation had, in her opinion, gone bad enough and something – anything – had to be done. If neither Donatello, nor Raphael were going to put themselves together and man up to bring their brother back, then she would do it for them. He was family too after all. They all were. Mikey was like the little brother she never had but secretly always wished she did, and he had been gone long enough to make them all dead with worry.

It wasn't like Mikey to disappear like that. He might still be a kid in a twenty-seven year old body but he wasn't that irresponsible. He had always been careful to keep his cell at hand and the tracking signal on so Donatello wouldn't go crazy with worry. The fact that this time there was absolutely no sign of him was too frightening.

Something caught her eye up ahead: a hunting shotgun on the ground. Well, that was the first sign of lifeform she'd come across since she left the village.

"Hello?!" she called out, looking around. "Can anybody hear me?!"

There was no answer, so she plunged back into the jungle. Her feet suddenly got caught on a root and she stumbled forward. She tried grabbing onto a tree but her hands failed the lower branches. She fell through a hole.

"AHHHH!" April closed her eyes, expecting the impact with the ground but it never came. Instead she found herself wrapped safely in a pair of bulky and familiar leathery arms.

"It's a long ride from the city to just… drop in," her savior joked in a deep voice.

When she opened back her eyes, April was met with Leonardo's gentle blue ones. Her heart gave a thousand leaps in its place.

"Leo!"

 _Finally…!_

* * *

"Mom, I don't wanna go! Please don't make me!"

"We've been through this already. In fact we go through it every single week! This is your father's weekend!" Sage blew a few curls away from her eyes as she scavenged her loft for her stubborn son who insisted on making her life a lot harder. She looked under his bed and opened the closet hoping to find him inside like the last few times. No such luck.

"But I don't like it there!" He kept whining, "he's got that woman living there and I don't like her. She talks to me in a baby voice, mom, a baby voice!"

"Considering how you're behaving at the moment, I can't say I blame her! C'mon, Damian, your father's going to be here any minute now."

"I don't care!"

She heard low chuckling behind her. She turned around to see Michelangelo leaning against the doorframe with his arms and his legs crossed. He had stopped wearing bandages three days ago. His wound was nothing but a faint pink line, another scar joining several others.

Sage frowned, torn between amusement and annoyance. "Do you think this is funny?"

"Kinda, yeah," Mikey admitted with a smirk.

"Well, it's not! He does this every time, Mikey, every time – it's exasperating!"

He decided to help her out, seeing as he didn't really think pushing her further over the edge was a good idea. An angry Sage was not be messed with, and she wasn't very fun either.

"I thought kids liked spending time with their dads," he started, looking under the desk.

"I guess but... well, let's just say James isn't exactly the friendliest guy and he doesn't really like children… actually it's not that he doesn't like them but more like he has now idea of how to deal with them. I do see D's point of view though. I mean we were married and even I still don't know how I put up with him for that long y'know. But we made a deal after the divorce and he got conjoined custody and that means he takes Damian with him every other weekend."

Michelangelo pulled Damian's scrawny figure out of the laundry basket, grabbing him by the back of his white and blue stripped shirt. The boy pouted and flailed his arms and legs around, trying uneventfully to break free from his hold. When he couldn't, he simply crossed them and glared at her with his piercing mismatched eyes.

"You could let me hide," he argued.

Sage sighed as she straightened up, cocking her hip to the side. "I'm pretty sure that would be considered kidnapping."

"No it wouldn't."

"Sorry, little dude," Mikey said, coming to her rescue, "your mom's right."

He glared harder but eventually admitted defeat. Figuring the worst was over, Mikey put him back down. Just in time for the bell.

"Alright that's him. Come'ere-" Sage pulled Damian closer and shoved him into his old denim jacket. Then she grabbed the faded grey backpack on the desk and gave it to him, amused by the way he clung to it as if his life depended on it, holding the bag close to his chest. "I'm lettin' you take your PSP but you better come back with all of your homework done or there won't be a next time, okay?" Damian nodded sulkily. She smiled a little. "Say goodbye and let's go."

Mikey reached out a hand to give him a fist-bump. "See ya around, little dude. Don't get into too much trouble."

"You still gonna be here when I come back?" Damian asked, flashing him a puppy-dog eye look that could rival his own and he was the master of puppy-dog eyes.

Mikey and Sage shared a look but it didn't say much. Neither of them were absolute sure about what the answer would be.

"Well, I don't know," he answered honestly. At the boy's dejected look, he quickly added, "but if I'm not, it doesn't mean you're never gonna see me again. I'll swing by loads of times, you'll even gonna get like major sick of me. I promise."

Damian perked up and, after sharing another fist-bump with his friend, he let his mother pull him to the front door and to his father.

Sage couldn't help but to roll her eyes at the man waiting on the other side of the door. Five years separated and he still hadn't changed even the slightest. He stood, leaning against the wall in front of her doorway with one leg pulled up and hands shoved into the pockets of a pair of brand new dark washed jeans. He looked all cocky and mighty in his favorite and expensive leather jacket. Surprisingly, he was polite enough to take off his Ralph Lauren sunglasses when she met him.

 _Hard to believe those blue eyes used to give me goosebumps_ , she thought annoyed.

"Gorgeous as always, love," he greeted. She pulled one of the straps of her green dress up, feeling self-conscious of how he just seemed to swallow her whole with one look.

"Save the compliments for your bimbo girlfriend, I really don't need them," she snapped shortly.

"And mordacious as usual. Are you ever going to speak to me like a normal civilized woman?"

Sage bit her tongue and swallowed a comeback for the sake of Damien. "Just make sure you bring Damian back Sunday after dinner. Oh and don't leave him alone with that woman. He doesn't like it and quite frankly I don't either."

"Who I leave my son with during his legal time with me is none of your business."

"It is if it makes him miserable."

"He's not miserable. I give him anything he wants, he has no reason to be miserable."

"Money can't buy happiness, James," she said with any icy coldness, "it can't buy you what matters."

His eyes displayed a sudden sadness. Yet it came as fast as it went, so she wasn't sure if she had actually seen it.

"Come on, D, Tim's waiting in the car downstairs. I was thinking we could stop for some hotdogs before going home, huh? What do you think?"

Damian shrugged, but Sage could tell he felt a little better for not having to deal with Lauren, James's current girlfriend, so soon. He hugged her and then skipped off to the elevator. James moved to follow.

"James," she called with Damian's sleepover duffel in her hand. He backtracked to retrieve it, trying to play it cool even though she could easily notice the faint blush on his sun kissed cheeks. "See you later."

"Yeah yeah." He waved over his shoulder, closing the elevator and pressing zero.

After they were gone, Sage closed the door with one swift movement of her hand, heaving a sigh. She nearly crashed into Mikey on the way back to the living room, his sudden closeness behind her startling her to death. "Geez, Mike, you tryin' to kill me or what?!"

He ignored her, glaring at the closed door with a furrowed brow. "What in the shell did you see in that guy?"

"Ugh, typical! If only I could get a dollar every time someone asks me that…" she scoffed, stepping into the kitchen and went through some of the cupboards. Mikey followed her, hopping on the island counter and watching her move, involuntarily enjoying the way the thin fabric of her green dress clung to every subtle curve.

"James was your average rich bad boy who makes every girl weak in the knee," she continued. "He was a business management course senior in my college campus and even though he was as temperamental and dangerous as he looked, he had the most brilliant and fascinating mind I've ever met. He could make math seem interesting – and I liked it. Besides, I always had a thing for bad boys."

Mikey rolled his eyes. "Really, Sage?"

"So? Sue me!" She snorted. "Anyway, we started dating of course, but he changed a lot after his father died and left the entire company empire to his younger brother instead of him. He became obsessed with making money. He wanted to prove he was better than his brother and steal his place at the top. Then he, well…" She paused. Her forehead wrinkled before she went on, "he seemed to develop a thing for long legged blondes and a sudden amnesia concerning our marriage status."

Mikey's angry grunt made her smile through the hurtful memories. "The worst part, though, was when he didn't show up when Damian was born. He didn't step foot in the hospital until a week or so later, and when he held him for the first time there wasn't a single feeling of happiness or pride. He stared at our baby like he was just a… a… a _thing_ that would require too much energy and attention and resources. I hated him that day… That wasn't the man I had fallen in love with… So I filed for divorce. End of story."

There was a silent pause.

"Wow," Mikey finally breathed. "What a jackass. Damian's the coolest kid in the world! He's nuts if he doesn't see it. And he's even more nuts to let go of someone like you."

She looked him sideways; he was blushing and twirling the ends of his orange mask adorably. She just found him so cute.

"Awe chucks, Mikey, you flatter me too much." His blush deepened, which made her chuckle harder. "Anyway, let's stop talking about James. It gives me a stomachache. You are officially healed and off the antibiotics so I say we should celebrate."

"Shell yeah! I second that motion!"

"Good." She grinned, pulling out of the fridge a six pack and out of the cabinets a bag of ketchup flavored chips. "What do you say to a **_Fast and The Furious_** marathon? I even borrowed the new movie from my collegue at the clinic."

Mikey hopped off the counter and engulfed her neck and shoulders with one of his rock-hard bulky arms, moaning in pure delight.

"Marry me, Sage. I don't even care if we're different species. I'll look past it."

She threw her head back and laughed good-naturedly.


	3. Chapter 3 - Family

**3\. Family**

" _My family is my strength and my weakness."_

 _\- Aishwarya Rai Bachchnan_

The Emerald Fist was in trouble, in really big trouble. Massive trouble in fact.

He looked around at the hundreds of dark figures surrounding him in one of the darkest forgotten alleys down at the pier. There was no way out. At least not one easy to find.

"Bugger!" He cursed under his breath, his eyes darting around hoping to find an opening no matter how small. One of the dark figures cackled evilly.

"It seems you have reached a dead end, vigilante," he said, moving into an attacking stance. "We are finally getting rid of you and your annoying meddling."

"Ah!" The Emerald Fist sneered, "now that's something I'm gonna enjoy seeing you try."

The Foot moved in perfect synchrony as they pounced on him at once, but that was exactly what he needed. When they jumped to strike him with their kicks, he grinned behind his silver and green mask and slid under them unharmed, leaving them crashing against each other. He grinned even bigger at their pathetic attempt of detangling themselves. He rushed up a fire-escape ladder and jumped into the roof of a building.

They were persistent, though. He heard them following him so he moved faster and more swiftly, knowing he only needed to get further enough to slip into the shadows and lose them. His suit might've been green but he was still able to use the little control over darkness he had to hide.

He sneaked a glance at the scroll he had taken from the Purple Dragons, briefly wondering what was so important about it that they had gone to so much trouble as sneaking into the museum to steal it and then have the Foot sent after him. They usually didn't care about breaking quietly into the place they were robbing. It made the scroll all the more important.

 _I need to hide it, I need to get it somewhere safe_.

And he knew just the place.

* * *

"I'm sorry, April, but I'm not ready to go back. Not yet." Leonardo moved around the cave he had been calling his home for the last seven months to grab some more wood. He returned to the fire, feeding it, loving the soft warmth it brought to the humid and dark walls. "There's still something I'm missing... I quite haven't figured it out yet. I hope to soon though. I really do."

April shook her head in disbelief. "You can't be serious! Mikey's been missing for nearly three weeks now, Leo, no one can find him anywhere. Donnie has lost his tracking signal completely!"

Leo closed his hands into tight fists. The possibility of Mikey, his baby brother, getting in trouble or getting caught by their enemies or worse, being killed, was torture. But he didn't feel like himself yet. He was still struggling with his inner demons and he needed to understand how to deal with the scars in his soul. He hadn't found what he was looking for. He needed more time.

"What could I possibly do that neither Donnie or Raphael can't? They both have to grow up as well. They should learn how to deal with the circumstances on their own. I'm not going to be around forever."

"They've been dealing with the _circumstances_ since you've left. What they need now is their older brother, the one they look up to more than anyone," April muttered, trying to reason with him. She hastily stood up, finding it too hard to stay seated when Leo was being so exasperating.

"I'm not that... turtle, anymore." And he wasn't. After the fight with the Shredder, Leo had lost something inside of him, something precious. He had defeated their toughest enemy and he had come out alive, but he had killed innocents in the process. He was hardened, short tempered, nearly brutal... and he was shattered. The last time he was home with his brothers, he had almost killed Raphael, and he had hurt Michaelangelo by accident when he stepped into the crossfire. He had lost a part of his humanity. A leader could never be a true leader if he couldn't show compassion, patience, understanding. He wasn't a leader anymore.

Leo pinned April to the floor with one look of his dark blue eyes. "That's why I'm here. I have to go back to who I was."

April sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. Her head hurt. She knew Leo like the back of her hand, and she knew he was too stubborn to ever change his mind. She wanted to fight him over this, but what was the point of fighting a battle she had already lost?

"No one could stay the same after what you all went through, Leo, in fact none of you did. You should learn how to live with it, like your brothers have been doing. You should deal with it together! This - what you're doing? Running away to search something that you can probably never get back again is not the way to go, Leo."

Leo gritted his teeth. She was wrong; he was going to find it. He had to otherwise what would be left for him? He knew nothing besides being a leader. In the meantime his brothers would have to deal with the situation without him.

* * *

Sage and Mikey were just about to finish the fourth movie and their fifth beer when there was a sudden noise outside of her window. It began with a soft tapping and then became a nervous scratching that she simply couldn't ignore. Mikey immediately stood up, grabbing a hold of his nunchucks. She shot him look.

"Put that away, Mikey, and get in the bedroom!" She told him.

"But it could be a robber, Sage!"

"If it's a robber I'll call you, now get in the bedroom!" He was clearly displeased but still he did as she said.

Sage grabbed her brother's old baseball bat from the small cabinet beside the couch and tip-toed towards the window. As soon as she got near, a face smashed against the glass making her scream like a girl in a horror film.

"Jesus Christ, Sage, stop screeching! It's me!" The man outside her window shouted. Sage stopped and examined the intruder's face more closely, finally noticing the familiar grey eyes of her younger brother.

"Bloody hell, Rowan, what the hell are ye doin' here?!"

"I will tell ye if ye open this bloody window and let me inside! It's fuckin' freezin' out here, y'know?"

She snapped out of her shock and she moved to let him in quickly. Rowan shivered as his cold skin met the warmth of the living room. He scanned the place, his attention falling on the ten cans of beer opened in the coffee table and the movie playing on the wide television screen. He raised an eyebrow.

"Do you have company?" he asked.

Sage froze for a moment. "What? No! Can't a lass just enjoy a night home alone?" She chuckled nervously. Her British accent always turned up a notch when she was anxious. Just as her brother's did.

"Right." He didn't look the least bit convinced, she noticed, but he also didn't seem to be in the mood to probe further into it. "Okay look, I don't have time for this. I just stopped by to ask if you could keep something safe for me. Can you?"

"What is it?" She didn't like the way her brother stayed silent. "Is it something that'll get me in trouble?"

"I don't think so, no."

"You don't think so... alright... and are you in any sort of trouble?" He didn't answer. She scowled. "Rowan..."

"Don't lecture me right now, 'kay sis? I just... can't deal with it right now. So can you please keep it and save the questions for when I'm ready to answer?"

Sage watched him intently. Rowan was always the "dark beauty" of the family with hair dark as night and eyes like a stormy sky. Tonight, those eyes looked even stormier with lightning striking inside them. She felt as if he was lost in the storm raging inside of him and she had no idea of how to reach him.

Their eyes met and for a split second, the tiniest of moments, she caught a glimpse of Oliver. Unfortunatelly, it was gone nearly as soon as it came up. She sighed heavily.

"Alright, I'll keep it - whatever it is." He handed her what appeared to be an old scroll case made of a golden material. As she inspected the item further, she gasped. "Rowan, this is made of gold! Bloody hell, it's ancient Norse gold!"

"Sage-"

"You thought I wouldn't recognize something like this?" She cut him off, getting angry. "For Pete's sake, Rowan, I have a master's degree in Ancient Mythology! I wrote a thesis on sacred Norse customs!"

"I know that! Just put it in your safe and keep it there until I come back for it, can you do that for me?"

She snorted. "You're unbelievable, you know that?" He gave her an unwavering look, annoying her immensely. She bit her lip. "Fine."

Sage walked up to her favorite Monet painting, taking it down and opening the safe she had hiding behind it. She shoved the case inside. The clicking sound echoed through the silent apartment. Then she closed and locked the safe, hanging the painting back up.

"Thank you, Sage," she heard Rowan whisper quietly.

She run a hand through her locks. "I'm worried about you, Rowan. I'm always worrying, and it's not because I don't trust your judgment or your choices but because I know how it feels to want to change the world by my own hands. But justice isn't up to you, Rowan. The man who killed Oliver has already been locked up, there's nothing else to do."

"Stop bringin' Oliver up every time ye see me! Fuckin' hell Sage, and ye wonder why I never go home anymore!" Rowan howled angrily, making Sage flinch and cower in fear. "I'm sick ov' everyone tellin' me t' move on and that it's goin' t' be fine! Well guess what - it's not gunna be fine, nothing's ever gunna be fine! He was half ov' me, we shared the same womb, the same pains, the same thoughts, we had the same heart... He was everythin' t' me - EVERYTHING! Ye lost a brother but I lost part ov' me, so ye don't get t' talk 'bout him and ye don't get t' gimme morality speeches, ye got no right t'!"

She had never seen him so furious, it was scary. His accent was thicker than an irishman's and he was out of breath from the strain of yelling. There were tears pooling behind his stormy eyes; tears he stubbornly refused to cry.

Rowan took a deep breath, finally facing his sister. The way she had her arms around her torso, as if trying to hold herself from falling apart, only made his suffering worse. She looked terribly fragile with her tiny shoulders trembling, her long curly mane shielding a face he knew all too well. He hated himself for making her feel like this but the wrong was done and he couldn't find the right words to take it back. He tugged at his hair.

"Just... please don't tell anyone about the scroll alright? I'll come back for it as soon as I can." She only nodded, refusing to look up. He sighed, moving to touch her but he stopped before he did. Then, he simply turned around and climbed out the window disappearing into the shadows of the night.

When the window clicked shut, Sage felt her legs finally give in underneath her, but she never touched the ground. Mikey was beside her faster than the blink of eye, holding her against his chest. He was so warm, she noticed, and she could hear the beating of his heart. It was fast.

Mikey touched her hair, watching her intently. She didn't meet his eye, which worried him further. He felt her trembling so he held on tighter, engulfing her in as much warmth as he could, knowing very well she wasn't shaking because she was cold.

"Sage..."


	4. Chapter 4 - Return

**(A/N):** Hi, guys! So just for a bit of info, in this fic, the brothers are all 27! Sage is 26 and Damian is 6 - so she had him when she was 20 ;)

* * *

 **4\. Return**

 _"Though a tree grows ever so high, the falling leaves return to the root."_

 _\- Malawian Proverb_

Leo's stomach growled for the seventh time in the last two hours. What he wouldn't kill to have some pizza.

The cargo hold he was currently hiding in was hot and clammy. He could feel the dampness in the air. It made his mask stick to his face and his neck. Sweat was dripping down his back, inside his shell. There were several animal cages around and the smell was absolutely nauseating. Leo wasn't exactly sure if he was currently on board an illegal trading ship but even if he was, there wasn't much he could do about it now.

It was very dark. He could barely see his own three fingered hands. But Leo wasn't scared of the dark. After all he had been trained in the arts of nijintsu and raised in the shadows. In fact, he found the darkness quite peaceful.

He had tried to meditate soon after the ship sailed, but it was useless. No matter how hard he tried, he simply couldn't get his mind to focus. Images of his brothers kept assaulting him: Donatello's gigantic grin as he finished setting up their new Battle Shell; Mikey's puppy dog eyes as he tried to convince Leo to let him have a stray cat he'd found lost in the sewers; and Raph's cocky smirk after winning a sparring match with him.

 _Raph.._.

Leo felt a heavy weight on his chest as he thought about Raphael again. They were always at each other's throats; that's how it had been since they were kids. He knew Raphael was short-tempered and proud which was what made it so fun for Leo to tease him when they were young. When they grew up, however, it wasn't just simple bickering and taunting anymore. As their personalities became more and more defined, the more they clashed. Leo was responsible, disciplined, assertive. He had firm beliefs and honors and he was set to follow them. While Raph... well, Raph was a force of nature. He was stubborn and passionate. He always wanted to do things his way and he rarely ever thought those things through.

A part of Leo envied his brother's freedom of spirit. He spoke from the heart and he always said what he was thinking without hesitating, and Leo couldn't do that. He had to assess everything before speaking and he was unable to be honest about his true feelings.

Thinking about Raph brought Leo back to the day he had decided to leave the lair. He wasn't having a good day to begin with so when his loud-mouthed brother suddenly barged into the dojo, where he had been practicing solo _kata_ patterns, arguing about the lock down he had installed earlier that morning to stop Raph from going out alone, Leo exploded.

It started with them yelling and throwing insults at each other like usual but it soon escalated into a heated fight. Leo remembered a lot of punches in the gut and nearly as many kicks in the shins. He remembered Raph giving him a swollen black eye, a busted lip and whole lot of bruises all over. What scared him was what he didn't remember. In the middle of the fight his mind became foggy, clouded with a blazing red and he stopped feeling or seeing. He was simply overwhelmed with a raging urge to hurt. To annihilate.

The fog dissipated when he realized Donnie was holding him back, screaming in a state of utter horror. Leonardo felt all color drain from his face.

Raph was standing in front of him panting heavily. He also had a busted lip plus a busted eye ridge, several cuts in his cheeks and bruises in his legs. There was blood dripping down his right arm; it was a lot of blood. Leo saw the long deep gash in his brother's bicep and the cut on Mikey's plastron as he held Raph up, and then he looked down at his own hand holding his sword stained with blood.

Shaking his head, Leo returned to the present. He didn't even remember drawing his sword out in the first place... that was the terrifying true.

Even though he still didn't trust himself to be around his brothers and even though he was still completely lost, Leo knew he couldn't stay away anymore. Not when Michelangelo was missing.

He just hoped the ship arrived in New York soon.

* * *

"You sure you're gonna be okay?" Mikey asked her again, making her smile wider.

"I'm positive, Mikey. You should go home, I'm sure your brothers are worried sick. You haven't been home in a month. If my brother disappeared on me like that I would go insane," she told him.

Michelangelo dropped his gaze to the ground, suddenly feeling guilty. He knew she was right. He was certain Donnie was on the verge of a nervous breakdown when he left that night, especially with everything going on with Raph, so he could only imagine how he must've been feeling with him going all M.I.A. Of course Raph would be a complete wreck too. Mikey knew his hot-tempered brother was blaming himself for losing him, Raphael was that type of guy. And Master Splinter wouldn't be all that pleased either. Mikey was probably in for a very long and harsh lecture once he got home.

"What is it?" Sage brought a hand to his cheek.

He shook his head and flashed her a sheepish smile. "Nothing, babe, I just realized I'm going to be grounded for the rest of my poor turtle life."

Sage laughed good-naturedly. "Oh Mikey, you're twenty-seven. I hardly think your father's going to ground a grown up... turtle," she smirked.

"Yeah well, you obviously don't know Splinter!"

"I'd love to meet him some day though." She got up from the couch, stretching her arms over her head. "I'd love to meet all of them actually."

Mikey stared at her befuddled. Was she serious? "Really? I mean you really wanna meet a giant rat and two other giant turtles?"

"Why not? I told you Mikey, I like weird things." It was his turn to laugh.

"Yeah I see that!" Standing up as well, Mikey moved towards her and enveloped her in his bulky arms. "I'd love for them to meet you too, Sage."

She smiled, enjoying the tender warmth of her now best friend. It was pretty amazing how they had grown so close in the month they'd been living together. Mikey often helped her with cooking and cleaning. Sometimes he would come with her to her veterinary clinic and help her out with some of her furry patients without anyone seeing him. For some reason he was extremely good with animals. When they were home he would always play with Damian, and they would all sit and watch movies as well.

Sage would be lying if she said she wouldn't miss him. He kept her company. He comforted her and made her smile when she was sad. There was very little she hadn't told Michelangelo about her past and there was nothing she wouldn't tell him now. She trusted him whole-heartedly.

"I have a favor I need you to do for me," she started. When he raised an eye ridge, Sage pulled away from him and went to her vault behind the painting. "I want you to take the scroll with you. I think it'll be safer in the sewers with all of you to protect it."

"What do you mean? I thought your brother said it wouldn't put you in danger."

"Mikey, I haven't trusted Rowan since he quit the navy to do whatever he's doing at night. No one knows in what sort of mess he's gotten himself into for the last three years so I think it's safe to say I shouldn't keep an ancient Nordic scroll made of gold that comes from god knows where."

"Good point," he agreed. "Sure I'll take it with me. Maybe my brother Don can figure out what it is."

She nodded, handing him the scroll. As he secured it in his belt, Saige watched him with a clenching heart, knowing very well he would be leaving soon. It was so hard to say goodbye.

"Will you visit?" she asked, crossing her arms over her red blouse, hugging herself.

Mikey gazed into her beautiful sea green eyes. He found a deep sadness inside them, which only made his departure harder. She hadn't been fine since the night her brother stopped by. Rowan had told her a lot of things she didn't deserve and, as far as Mikey knew, he hadn't called to apologize.

She had already gone through so much, he thought. He wished he could stay with her and make her life a bit more exciting. They were great together; he found in her the best friend he could ever hope for.

He flashed her his signature grin. "Of course I'll visit, babe! And look, I'll write down the directions to our lair so you can find me if you ever need to."

"Thank you, Mikey... really, for everything."

"Don't thank me, Sage." His eyes softened as he put a curl behind her ear. "You saved my life, you gave me a place to stay with food and hot water and you filled my days with good moments."

Mikey loved the way her eyes sparkled with his words. "So promise; promise you'll stop by if you ever need me."

Sage smiled. "I promise."

* * *

Raphael leaned back into the chair, stretching his arms over his head, feeling quite full and satisfied. There was nothing like dinner with April and Casey, he thought. Homemade meals really were a thousand times better than pizza.

It was nearly eleven pm, he noticed. Soon he would have to go back out there and resume his search for Mikey. He had been searching for a whole month but still nothing.

He was staying a bit longer though. Raph was tired and he missed the company of his best friend, as well as April's of course. He always felt at home with the two of them, especially at their place. Raph loved how cozy the T2 apartment was. It also made him extremely happy to know the second room they had was his to use whenever he needed and wanted to.

"Thanks for dinner, April, it was real good," he said, flashing a grin at the red-head.

"You're welcome, Raph. I wish you'd stay for dinner more often, being alone with this knucklehead gets boring sometimes."

"Hey!"

She showed him her tongue. He pouted like a toddler, making her chuckle and rub the crown of his head fondly. "You're such a sensitive sissy, Casey," she teased him.

"I ain't not! Yer lucky I love ya, gal, or I'd make ya regret dat," he mocked threatened.

Raphael watched them bicker back and forth with a familiar strangling sensation creeping up his throat. He envied them so much. He always wondered what love felt like. Real love. For a woman, not for his own brothers and father. Sometimes he thought he would never feel it.

It wasn't like he was an innocent when it came to the female gender. After all he had been around his fair shair of aliens and mutated females, and he was always very curious and very impulsive. He'd done a little exploring, but he hadn't liked it. At least not in the way he was hoping he would. They hadn't felt... right underneath him. Their skin didn't have the right texture. Their body didn't fit his. If they had hair, it didn't smell like he imagined it would. None of them felt right.

The only one he'd ever talked to about that stuff was Casey. He doubted his brothers ever tried to experiment like he had and Raph knew his best friend would understand because he was far more exerienced than any of them when it came to women, or females in his case. And he was right; Casey did understand him. To a point. He told Raph sometimes people just didn't fit together so it was normal for him to want to be with someone who did. When Raph asked him why didn't he fit with females who seemed to match his species, Casey didn't know how to answer. After a while he said maybe he supposed to be with a human. Raph had openly laughed at that but Casey insisted.

 _"You guys are more human dan turtle,"_ he had said, _"so it's normal fer you t' be attracted t' women."_

As Casey's words echoed in his head, he was assaulted by the image of a woman he saw the other night. Raph had been taking a break from his night patrols and he had sat down on top of a chimney, staring into the vastness of the sky and the city lights of New York - the city he grew up to love. Then he saw her; she was in the balcony of her room, leaning casually over the railing with the wind blowing on her dark luscious curls and the moonlight shinning on her beautiful eyes. She had eyes like the sea. The sight of her had made his heart race, thumping louder in his chest.

Since that moment there wasn't a single night when Raph wouldn't dream of her and his longing deepened each time. He wanted to know her name. He wanted to hear her voice, watch her up close, get to know her. But as soon as he woke up reality rushed over. He knew who he was - a violent, impatient, stubborn, insensible giant mutant turtle. So Raph never went back to see her again. As if a human woman would ever _see_ him.

Raph sighed dejectedly. April was brought back from her and her husband's playful bickering by the sound.

"What's wrong, Raph? Are you thinking about what I told you about Leo?" He shrugged.

"Dat too, but... I was just t'inkin' about how you too are so great t'gether y'know? I wonder what dat's like..." Raph trailed off, suddenly feeling shy and self-conscious.

April and Casey exchanged a look.

"Oh Raph..." She reached for his hand across the dinner table but he quickly pulled away. She frowned. "There is nothing wrong with wanting love in your life, you deserve it as much as anyone else. My mother once told me there is someone for everybody. It may take a long time to figure out who your _someone_ is and when you do find them things may not work out but we were not meant to be alone in this world."

"I hardly t'ink yer mother was talkin' about mutant turtles when she gave ya dat speech," he scoffed.

Her eyes softened. "It doesn't matter what differentiates you and us, Raph, what matters is what brings us together."

"Yeah right..."

April was about to refute when Raph's shellcell went off. He picked it up and answered. There was a moment of silence as he listened and April and Casey watched his whole face lit with a thooty grin.

"He is?! Oh t'ank shell! Yeah yeah I'm goin' right now! Don't start de lecture wit'out me ya hear?" Raph stood up after hanging up, moving towards the window. "Sorry 'bout dis guys but Mikey's back in de lair!"

"Really?!" they both echoed, a wave of relief rushing over the couple.

"Go go, Raph! We'll stop by later!" April shouted after him as he jumped off the window with a nod and a dismissing wave. She looked at her husband's smirk and raised a perfectly shaped red eyebrow. "What?"

"Oh not'in', I was just picturin' the shitload Mikey's gonna get from everyone," he answered, cracking up.

April rolled her eyes but she broke into a smile at that.


	5. Chapter 5 - Fear

**5\. Fear**

 _"I learned that courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear."_

 _\- Nelson Mandela_

"Again, Michelangelo."

Mikey glared at his master with sweat dripping from his forehead and down his neck, his back and his chest. Every vein in his arms was protruding with the rush of blood pumping through his veins, and every muscle in his body was twitching from the strain of a four hour training session.

There was chuckling by the dojo's doorway. He glared at his older brothers, inwardly cursing at their stupid smirks and their stupid smug faces and his father's stupid lecture and that stupid training session. He was sick of being treated like a little kid. Everyone had given him a piece of their mind while he sat obediently and took it because he knew he had done wrong and he had made everyone worry. He had accepted his father's punishment and meditated for three hours! Only to find another punishment waiting for him.

But now he'd had it.

Sage's words resonated through his head: _"You're twenty-seven, I hardly think your father's going to ground a grown up... turtle."_

He straightened his back, meeting his master's black eyes with a knew-found determination. "No, sensei, you've punished me enough. I won't fight anymore today," he said assertively.

His brothers exchanged a look, he noticed. But this was between him and Master Splinter.

"Excuse me?" The master raised a furry eyebrow, his expression hardening for a moment.

"I said enough, master. You made me meditate for three hours and now practice for four hours straight with no water breaks. I'm not a kid anymore, stop treating me like one. I know I acted wrong, I shoulda told you guys where I was and how I was doing, but I needed this break. I needed time on my own and I don't regret doing what I did. This month was the best month I've had since Leo left the lair. Oh and by the way, he too left without a word to anyone about where he was going or how long he'd be gone."

The dojo fell into a tense silence. As Michelangelo and Splinter dueled stares, Raph and Donnie looked back and forth between the two.

Raphael assessed his brother more closely, noticing now the subtle changes he hadn't noticed before. Mikey looked more mature. Well as mature as it was possible for Mikey of course, but he also had gained a certain... confidence. It wasn't an ego sort of confidence. It was more of a stronger certainty of his own abilities and actions. A sense of responsibility.

Their master broke into a smile and, with that, all tension dissipated.

"Very well, my son. I was wondering when you would finally cross those last steps in your path of manhood. It seems it has done you good to be away for a while," Master Splinter said, nodding his head with pride.

Mikey let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, suddenly feeling three hundred pounds off his shoulders. He scratched the back of his neck sheepishly before bowing respectfully. "Thanks sensei!"

Raph pounced on Mikey from behind, capturing him in a neck lock full of affection and rubbing his head with his fist. "You lucky son of a shell! You put us through hell and now you get off yer punishment... it ain't fair man, it ain't fair."

"Ahhh stop it, Raph!" Mikey struggled to get free but he couldn't help his laughter.

Raph smirked and let him go with one more smack on the back of his head. Donnie, who was standing by the entry leaning against the doorway, watched them fondly. They really had missed Mikey. He quickly joined them, patting his younger brother in the back.

"I'm curious about something though," he started. "What made this month so great for you, huh?"

Mikey broke into a grin.

"Oh I met someone," he simply answered. Raphael raised an eye ridge.

"You met... someone?" He drawled slowly. His brother nodded. "Who?"

"A woman. A really awesome woman."

* * *

"How could you have lost the scroll?!"

The black ninjas cowered in fear as the enormous man stood from his steel armchair. He was as big as a mountain, both in height and size, and he had a terrifying face with a long scar beginning near his thick eyebrow and ending at the tip of his top lip, disfiguring his cheek. His eyes were pitch black, like the darkest of nights, full of anger and bitterness.

The woman who was kneeling down in front of the group of assassins bowed her head. Her hands balled into fists.

"It seems a vigilante managed to steal it from the men we sent to retrieve it," Karai said, her voice unfaltering despite the twinge of fear creeping in.

"This is unacceptable!" The man spat with hatred, "you better get me that scroll, Karai, or you'll never see your master again. Without it there is nothing we can do."

"Yes, Your Highness," she chewed through clenched teeth. She hated this man with all of her being. She knew very well what he did to her fellow ninja women and he only didn't extend that treatment to her as well because of who she was and how useful she had proven to be. Maybe he expected her to be thankful for that. Well, Karai was everything but thankful and all she wanted to do was to grab him by his Norse beard and use it to strangle the life out of him.

"Now bring me those men immediately. I shall deal with them personally!"

"Yes, Your Highness."

As the trembling Foot ninjas entered the room, Karai and the others were dismissed. When the tall golden doors closed behind her, she heard the screams of her men and she knew there was no honor left in her.

* * *

Sage pulled her long hair away from her face by tucking it into a tight ponytail on top of her head. She breathed a sigh of relief for feeling the breeze touch the warm skin behind her neck.

"... and then Jake pulled Sarah's hair and that's when I punched him! See? It wasn't my fault, mom!"

She rolled her eyes.

Right after she had closed down the clinic for the day, Sage received a phone call from Damian's teacher saying he had punched a fellow student and he was refusing to apologize. Sage was so shocked she didn't even know how to react. A part of her wanted to laugh, but a more responsible voice in her mind reminded her she shouldn't find it so funny.

"I don't care, Damian. I told you I didn't want you getting into any fights."

Damian crossed his harms and huffed. "You're so unfair. Jake is always bullying Sarah..."

"In that case why doesn't she stand up for herself?"

"Because she's shy and quiet and really small..."

Sage noticed her son's cheeks turn a soft shade of pink. She couldn't stop herself from smiling. "Oh I see... you fancy her, isn't that so?"

"What?!" Damian became four different shades of red, making her laugh. "I-I uh, uh I-I d-don't... I-I'm n-not...!"

"I'm just teasing you, love," she cut him in. "It's your punishment for behaving the way you did."

Damian relaxed a bit, his face returning to normal. "So I'm not grounded?"

"Oh you are, you most definitely are very much grounded. I just have to think about how I will ground you this time," she said. When he groaned, Sage smirked. "Where did you even learn to punch like that? That kid had a massive black eye!"

He mumbled under his breath incomprehensively. Sage quirked an eyebrow, "excuse me?"

"I said Mikey taught me..."

Well, she should've seen that one coming. She really should've. It was actually no surprise at all; Mikey had taught her a couple defense moves as well. But Sage wasn't exactly counting on him to extend the same courtesy to her incredibly developed six year old son. It was her turn to huff.

"I'm going to murderer him when I see him...!"

The bells on a nearby church struck eight o'clock in the afternoon. The sky was darkening quickly so she hurried Damian down the street. She didn't like to walk around New York when it was dark. Not when all she saw on the news was people being mugged by Purple Dragons and dark figures roaming the roofs. They were rounding the last corner before their building when she heard the sound of glass breaking and furniture flying.

Sage quickly grabbed Damian and hid behind a set of garbage cans, covering his mouth to stop his whining. There were shadows moving inside her apartment, she noticed. Her window was shattered and there were a lot of her books scattered on the fire-escape ladder, most torn to pieces. She could hear them shuffling through her drawers and closets.

Fear ignited in her. Fear not only for her but especially for her son.

She slowly started moving backwards, dragging Damian with her. They were nearly safe when she tripped over a can, making too much noise, and the black figures immediately showed up in the window.

"That's her! GRAB HER!" Someone shouted.

Sage pulled her son to his feet and ran as fast as she could but they were abnormally fast. No matter how fast she beckoned Damian to run, his legs were shorter and he was too heavy for her to carry him far. She tightened her grip on his hand.

They were getting closer. She needed to hide, she needed to get her son to safety.

That was the last thought that crossed her mind before the gun shot.

* * *

The lair was unusually quiet that night.

Donatello lifted his head from the book he was reading to look around the place, finding it very strange that Mikey and Raph were both silent. He spotted the two of them sitting on the couch, watching **_One Piece_** together while sharing a bowl of popcorn.

Weird, he thought, tilting his head to the side and rubbing his eyes to make sure he was seeing right.

 _Yep, still there._

Shutting the book, Donnie stood up to join them. Raph scooted over to the side a little to make room for him without so much as a complaint and Mikey chucked him a **_Budweiser_** from the mini cooler beside the couch. A strange swelling began to build up in his chest. He took a sip of the beer to hide the silly grin he could feel assaulting his lips.

Even when Leo was around, he couldn't remember the last time they all hung out like this - so naturally. There were always fights happening between Raph and Leo, or there was always Mikey being... well, Mikey. But since Leo wasn't around, and Mikey had suddenly found a new sense of maturity, they could all just hang out as grown up males. Donnie was beyond happy. He enjoyed sharing the same level as his brothers. There was no leader; they were all equals, they were all just brothers.

Splinter observed his three sons with a smile before closing the dojo doors and resuming his meditation.

"So what do you guys wanna have for dinner?" Donatelo asked when the episode finished.

"Eh." Raphael shrugged. "Whatever you choose is fine by me."

Donnie turned to Mikey. "Wanna order some pizza, Mikey?"

"Nah, I'm not in the mood for greasy food tonight." He ignored his brothers shocked faces. "I'll cook dinner."

There was a brief silence. Then, after recovering from the initial shock, Raph blew out a small whistle. "Wow, Mikey, ya really know how t' catch a guy's shell by surprise," he joked, smirking.

"You should know how great I am by now, bro-" The lair's alarm cut off Mikey mid-sentence as it went off like a police siren.

Donatello sprung from the couch. He switched on his computer, typing away with an expertise none of the brothers ever had. Mikey and Raph stood behind him staring hard at the screens, searching for the intruder among the several surveillance cameras they had installed around the main tunnels around the lair. Something showed up on the screen on the right.

Michelangelo felt all green vanish from him.

"Open the door, Donnie," he said in a strangled voice. When his brother hesitated, he slammed his fist on the table. "OPEN THE GODAMN DOOR!"

Donnie hit the button, startled by his brother.

"Sheesh Mikey, relax!" Raphel scowled. Mikey ignored him as he ran outside the lair and down the main entrance tunnel. Their brothers exchanged a look before following him hastily.

Mikey couldn't breathe. His chest and his throat were so tight he was sure he could pass out any time soon, but he just couldn't breathe. He spotted her right away. She was leaning against the wall, grabbing her side. Her blouse was stained. There was blood dripping from between her fingers. She was as pale as a sheet and her legs were wobbly. She met his blue eyes and tried to move but Mikey was faster and he was quickly by her side, steadying her frail body against his.

"Fucking shells...! What happened, Sage?!"

She coughed, drops of blood flying into his chest. "Black... ninjas... and purple... dragons," she managed to croak between coughs, "they broke into... my house! Mikey... Mikey, they have Damian...!"

"Oh fuck! Fuck fuck fuck!" Mikey glanced back at his brothers who seemed frozen in place behind them. "Donnie, you gotta help her, please! You gotta save her!"

Donnie suddenly became very aware of the situation at hand. He moved to them, examining her wound. "We need to bring her back to my lab."

Mikey nodded. He was about to pick her up but Raphael put a hand over his shoulder, stopping him. Mikey's eyes were full of fear. It broke his heart.

"I'll take her, little bro, I'm stronger," he said. Mikey nodded, stepping away to allow him near his best friend.

Raphael picked her up gently, cradling her small frame against his broad chest. As they hurried back to the lair, he felt her stare burning him. He looked down at her, meeting the face of the woman that plagued his dreams. She was only half awake, looking at him through semi-closed eyes but that sea green could still make his pulse race.

"Raph-Raphael..." He heard her mutter. His heart froze. "You're Raphael..."

"Uh..." Raph was at a loss of words.

"We're here! Come on - lay her down on the table," Donnie urged him as he set up the heart monitor and an IV bag. Raph laid her down on the operation table. He flinched at her paleness and her pasty skin.

Mikey shoved Raphael off so that he could take a hold of her freezing hand. "Donnie, she's getting colder!"

The older brother furrowed his eye ridges. That wasn't good.

Master Splinter appeared beside them, confused and very worried. "What is the matter, my sons?"

"Father!" Mikey gestured towards the wounded woman. "This is Sage! She's the one I told all of you about."

"What has happened?"

"She said she was attacked," Raph answered. "They broke into her place and den chased her."

"What could they have possibly wanted from an innocent woman?"

Donnie halted for a moment, sneaking a glance towards his younger brother. "It's the scroll isn't it?" Mikey was silent, finally coming to that same conclusion. "They were looking for the Norse scroll."

"What-"

"It's not hers," Mikey interrupted his father's question, "her brother gave it to her. He wanted her to hide it but she gave it to me, because she thought it could be dangerous."

"All of this is very strange..."

"Mikey..." Sage's voice was barely heard by them, it was nothing but a whisper. Mikey gripped her hand tighter, crouching down to be in the same eye level as she was.

"I'm here, babe."

She coughed. "They took Damian... please save him, he's everything to me... please..."

"Don't worry, babe, we'll get him. I promise." Mikey straightened up, grabbing his nun chucks and fastening them into his belt.

"Who's Damian?" Raph asked.

"Her son." He ignored his brother's shock. "Will you help me?"

Raph shook his head and then nodded, grabbing his weapons. "Of course, brother."

"Can you guys manage on your own?" Donnie was administrating a dose of anesthesia to Sage's bloodstream. He looked up. "I'll take care of her."

"I'm trusting her to you, Donnie. She saved my life, please don't let her down."

Donnie's eyes glowed with determination. "I will do everything I can, Mikey, that's a promise."

"Don't worry, my son, we'll look after her."

Mikey kissed Sage's forehead with a heart-warming tenderness and then he rushed out of the lair with a thirst for blood like he had never tasted. Raphael took one last look at the mysterious woman before following his brother. For him the red cloud of bloodthirst was already familiar.


	6. Chapter 6 - Heroes

**6\. Heroes**

 _"We're our own dragons as well as our own heroes,_ _and we have to rescue ourselves from ourselves."_

 _\- Tom Robbins_

Damian was absolutely terrified. Everything was dark, he couldn't see a thing around him. It was cold too, and slimy. There was a horrid stench from the room next to his but he didn't even want to think about what it could be because he knew it smelled a lot like rotting flesh. He could hear rats scurrying in the room and behind the walls. Every hair in his body rose; he loathed rats.

A while ago someone had opened the door and plopped a tray on the floor with food but he refused to touch it. He was starving of course. His stomach had been growling like a wild beast for the past few hours but he was too scared of it being poisoned to even consider eating anything.

Fighting back another sob, Damian hugged his knees and buried his wet face in them. He had no idea how long he had been there. It felt like an eternity. He thought about his mother and felt a clenching pain in his chest. She had gotten seriously hurt while trying to protect him. He had never seen so much blood before... he couldn't get that sight out of his mind. What if she had died? What if no one came to save him and he would have to stay in that dark room for the rest of his life? He had no idea who these people were or what they wanted from him and his mother but they didn't seem to be the least bit friendly. He was so scared.

Someone screamed in one of the other rooms. Damian closed his eyes and covered his ears, shaking. He didn't believe in god but he prayed for something or someone to save him.

* * *

The two shadows scanned the building in front of them wearily, counting the Purple Dragons guarding the entrance and trying to decide which way they should go about this.

"What do you think, Raph?" Michelangelo asked in a low voice.

Raph grunted, eyeing a small window on the fourth floor. It was wide enough for them to fit through and there didn't seem to be as many guards on that level so they could probably sneak in unnoticed.

"Wanna try the window?"

Mikey furrowed his forehead. "Yeah. You think they're keeping him in there? It's so open..."

"Dunno, Mikey... it's times like these that make me appreciate Donnie's technological insight," he grumbled. For the first time in a long time, he was scared of following his instincts on a mission. There was kid in there and they had no idea what the Foot had done to him. "All I know is we gotta keep low and stick to the shadows 'cause they might use the kid as leverage."

The younger brother nodded grimly. The last thing he wanted was to endanger Damian even more than he already was. Mikey was so furious. How dare they do this to a child? He really though Karai had a little more honor than this but he was apparently mistaken. She was just like her father.

Once they made sure the Purple Dragons were out of eyesight, they jumped to the opposite building and climbed their way up to the little window. Raphael opened it quietly mentioning for Mikey to go in first and he followed next, closing it again so it wouldn't rise suspicions. Then they headed down the empty corridors, expertly avoiding the surveillance cameras scattered throughout the building.

Raph was right; that floor was emptier. It briefly made him wonder what they were doing on the lower levels that required so much security but he didn't dwell on it. Their priority was to get the kid out. Later they could worry about other details and try to find out why they were after the scroll.

A piercing screech cut through the air, startling them. They exchanged looks nodding, and darted towards the sound. It was coming from behind a large set of doors. By pushing them open, they found another long hallway with several other doors on both sides. None of them had windows or holes so they couldn't see what was inside those rooms. Raph frowned but Mikey seemed to come up with an easy solution.

"Damian?" he called out only loud enough to be heard through the doors. "D, are you here?"

Silence. Michelangelo felt a wave of panic as he walked further into the hallway, ignoring his brother's warning hiss.

"D, it's Mikey!" he tried again a little louder.

More silence. Raph shook his head, touching Mikey's tense shoulder in a gesture that told him it was time to look somewhere else. But then they heard something - a faint scratching on a door.

"M-Mikey?" came the little shaky voice he immediately recognized. Mikey was washed over with relief.

"Yeah, little dude, it's me! Keep talking, we gotta find out where you are," he indicated as he started listening in on the doors. Raph copied him.

They eventually stopped by the room he was in. Instructing Damian to step back, Raph used one his sais to pick the lock on the door and kick it open. The room was pitch dark, they couldn't see anything but soon the boy darted out to fling himself into Mikey's arms. He picked him up, holding him protectively, leaning his cheek against his dark curls as Damian buried his face on the crook of his neck crying.

"It's okay, D, I gotcha," he murmured softly, "I gotcha now..."

* * *

Donnie heaved an exhausted sigh as he cleaned the blood smudges from Sage's face with a wet cloth. She was stable now. He had managed to get the bullet out and it was by an incredible luck that it hadn't pierced through any vital organ. After stitching her up and wrapping her abdomen with bandages, he had administrated a couple more painkillers so she could stay asleep. It would be better for her body.

That all happened about two hours ago. His brothers still hadn't returned and he would be lying if he said he wasn't worried because Mikey and Raph both shared the same tendency for attracting trouble. Then again, maybe he was overreacting. He didn't think he had ever seen Mikey with such a look on his face. He fiercely reminded him of Leo when the Foot Clan had kidnapped Raph and taken him for scientific experiments.

Brushing a dark lock away from Sage's face, he studied her. He could understand his brother's appeal, she was strikingly beautiful. She was all soft lines and delicate features. Her high cheekbones made her look different and exotic, and her lips were full and red against her pale complexion. There was a faint myriad of freckles dusting her small nose and right underneath where her thick eyelashes rested peacefully. His hazel eyes followed the contours of her long hair. Donnie didn't think he had ever seen a hair so curly except for in television shows, but he knew those actresses didn't truly have curls like that without the help of a professional.

As he dropped his gaze towards the sheet covering her, he blushed. In order to adress her wound, he had to undress her. Not entirely of course, just her blouse and jeans. He was very much aware of what she looked under the covers and his first thought was reinforced - he _really_ understood Mikey's appeal.

Donatello closed his eyes to stop his reeling mind. It wasn't exactly his fault he was affected by her. They didn't get the chance to see beautiful women that up-close so often after all. April was pretty and he had developed sort of a silly crush towards her when he was in his teens, but Sage was different than the red-head. She was...

His mind trailed off when, as he looked at her face again, he met a pair of very awake sea green eyes regarding him curiously. She blinked, making him flush crimson.

"Y-You're a-awake!" Donatelo squeaked startled and embarrassed.

"Yeah..." Sage glanced down at the IV tube connected to her hand and then scanned the room around her, scrunching her forehead. "I really made it here... I thought it was a dream..."

Her confusion was enough to sober him up quickly.

"I'm afraid not, it was very real," he said carefully. "Do you remember what happened?"

Her delicately-shaped eyebrows furrowed even more. She nodded. "They were trashing my place... those dark shadows... they even tore my books, those bloody analphabetic beasts!" Sage spat angrily.

The more she started to recall, the more riddled she became. Donnie was debating whether to intervene and stop her or just let her interiorize the situation on her own when she suddenly went silent. Her eyes widened and he instantly noticed the panic in them.

"Damian..." she breathed in a strangled voice. "My son...!"

Sage struggled to sit up but he was faster, pushing her firmly back to the table. "You have to stay laying down for at least twenty-four hours or you might open your stitches," he indicated.

"But-"

"Mikey and Raph have gone to get your son back, don't worry," he added, cutting her off. "I know my brothers. They'll bring him safe and sound. I promise."

Sage breathed a sigh of relief and let her head lower to the pillow, staring up at the ceiling. They stayed in silence for a moment as Donnie allowed her to soak everything in. He couldn't even begin to imagine what she would be feeling. Surprisingly she seemed to trust his words, and she turned to him with a friendly smile.

"You must be Donatello," she said casually.

Now that made him smile. He lifted an eye ridge, asking, "how do you know that? Did the purple bandana gave me away?"

"It could have, but no it didn't." Sage chuckled, her eyes dancing with mirth. "Mikey told me you had brown eyes."

His grin widened, watching her with a new found interest. She was observant. That was refreshing.

"Raph has brown eyes too," he pointed out. Something flashed across her face, he noticed curiously. Her eyes softened ever so slightly. Interesting. Could she possibly know Raph too? He hadn't noticed anything change in his brother's demeanor when they found her with Mikey.

"Raphael's eyes are darker than yours..." she muttered softly.

"Very observant, my child."

Donnie jolted. He didn't hear his father walk into his lab. Glancing at the woman on the table, he half expected to find her fearful or possibly repulsed but he was once again surprised to discover she was far from that. Sage was actually smiling at Splinter like he was the most normal person in the world.

Something inside of him rumbled pleasantly, warming up.

Splinter approached the medical table and his snout stretched into a delighted smile when she reached out her hand for him to hold. His furry fingers closed around hers. The contrast only seemed to make her happier.

"I'm Splinter," he started warmly, "I'm very glad to see you awake and I'm also very grateful to you for saving my son, Michelangelo's life."

"I guess now we're even, huh?" Sage chuckled. "I'm pleased to meet you, master Splinter. Mikey told me a lot about you!"

"He has told us a lot about you as well, Miss Blythe, and I can see this time he has not exaggerated the least." Splinter squeezed her hand a little tighter before letting go, the corners of his beady eyes wrinkling merrily.

"Oh please, call me Sage!"

So, his father had also surrendered to her charms, Donatelo thought amusedly. What a strange woman. According to Mikey, she had never even flinched when she looked at him or when he touched her. They never encountered someone like that. Even April fainted the first time she met them. Actually she fainted twice.

They fell into an easy conversation while they waited. He knew she wanted to keep distracted. There was a deep concern set in her eyes that she was trying very hard to conceal but, like her, Donnie was also incredibly observant. When he saw her shoulders stiffen from pain, he was also very prompt to give her another painkiller. A lighter one, since she seemed to want to stay awake.

* * *

It wasn't long until they heard the lair open. Mikey came into the lab first. He was carrying the boy, and he was latched to his neck with a vice-like grip. As soon as he saw Sage, however, he jumped out of his arms and ran straight to her, hugging her and sobbing heavily.

"Oh Damian! Thank god, you're alright!" she cried, clinging to him without fully sitting up. "I've been so worried! Did they do anything to you?!"

Damian shook his head with a hiccup. "I'm okay, mommy!" He pulled away slightly to look at her and then to the IV bag next to her, his wonderfully mismatched eyes growing wide. "But you're hurt, mommy! They shot you, I saw it! There was so much blood...!"

"It's okay, love, I'm fine... Mikey's brother took care of me," she comforted him, patting his lovely curls fondly. He briefly glanced back at Donnie, who was leaning against his desk, and his shoulders sagged with relief when the turtle gave him a little wave and a smile.

Sage was so relieved. She had been so worried about him. Her mind kept plaguing her with images of black shadows with sickening grins falling over Damian. It felt so real she could almost hear his cries of despair. If Donnie hadn't reassured her about his brothers getting him back, Sage didn't know if she could've held back the terrible urge to cry hopelessly.

After Damian calmed down and she felt a little less emotional, she finally turned her attention to her friend. She smiled warmly when she saw the raw emotion behind his baby blue eyes. Of course he would be worried beyond his mind. Chuckling faintly, Sage opened her arms inviting him. It didn't need to be asked twice. Mikey gently moved into her embrace, burrying his face in her curls, breathing in her scent. She closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of his hands on her back and his warm body against hers.

"Thank you, Mikey..." she whispered into his ear, genuine gratitude lacing her voice. "Thank you so much..."

She felt him smile in her hair. "You don't have to thank me, babe. I'll do anything for you and little D," he replied firmly.

"I know."

"Just try to avoid getting shot the next time, 'kay? My poor heart can't handle so much excitment for one night."

"Sure!" She chuckled. Mikey slowly released her and she propped herself on her elbow, still keeping a firm grip over the sheets covering her chest.

Sage hesitated before facing the silent brother. She felt strangely nervous but she knew she had to face him at some time. So she took a deep breath and finally looked up, meeting his dark smoldering eyes. Her heart leaped. He was different than his brothers, he was slightly taller and broader. His arms were crossed over his plastron and she could see his muscles ripple every time he clenched them anxiously. He had several more scars than Mikey.

As they stared at each other, she wondered if the room temperature was rising or if it was just her own body reacting. Eyes like those should be illegal. When she realized everyone was watching them questioningly, she cleared her throat uncomfortably. Her cheeks dusted with pink.

"Thank you, Raphael," she managed to mutter. How her voice didn't shake she would never know, but she was grateful it didn't for it would've been extremely embarrassing otherwise.

Raph grunted as an answer, quickly adverting his gaze elsewhere. _Ouch_ , she thought bitterly, that had stung.

Mikey rolled his eyes at his brother's lack of tact. "Alright so how about moving you somewhere a bit more comfy, huh?" he chirped cheerfully, breaking the tension. He looked at Donnie, "can we move her into the couch or something?"

"I guess..." Donnie drawled slowly. He didn't know if moving her now would be very good but he agreed with Mikey when he said she would probably be more comfortable out of a cold medical table. "But not the couch. A bed would be best, it's straighter."

"Alright! She can-"

"She can have my bed," Raphael cut in abruptly. His brothers gave him a funny look but he plainly ignored it.

Mikey frowned. "She's my friend, she should have my bed," he argued.

Raph glared. "Why? My room's cleaner than yours, she'd feel better there."

"I cleaned my room yesterday!" Mikey hissed.

"Y'mean shoved all the trash under the rug."

"Shut up, Raph! You don't even know her!"

"My sons, you should not be arguing in front of our guests." Splinter raised a hand, giving them a disapproving look. Both turtles bowed their heads silently.

Sage chuckled softly, her eyes twinkling at their dispute. She actually found them quite endearing for fighting over her like that. Touching Mikey's hand to give him a little comfort, she beamed up at Raph.

"I can stay in Raphael's room," she said. He didn't show whether he was pleased or not about her choice except for an extremely discreet softening of his eyes as he glared at the ground. Sage noticed but happily saved that knowledge for herself.

Mikey scowled. He was about to argue with her about her decision when Damian latched onto his neck again, making him stagger backwards in order not to fall.

"I'll sleep with you, Mikey!" he squeaked excitedly. Everyone laughed at his stunned face. Mikey rolled his eyes, smiling fondly at the little boy who seemed to have grown so attached to him.


	7. Chapter 7 - Vulnerability

**7\. Vulnerability**

 _"Awkwardness is an invitation to vulnerability,_

 _and vulnerability is where intimacy and connection are found."_

 _\- Sammy Rhodes._

It was the third night Raphael spent on the living room couch, which unfortunately also meant he wouldn't be sleeping much again. With the way he felt restless, he probably should've been patrolling as the Nightwatcher. Certainly the criminals would be taking advantage of his absence by now, but he couldn't leave. He tried last night and he had gotten himself so riddled up about it he wasn't even able to step one foot out of the lair.

He glared daggers at his darkened room on the upper floor. The couch had a direct view to it. Hence his sleep deprivation. She was in there, sleeping in his bed, brushing her head in his pillows, spreading her perfume all over his sheets. How was he supposed to sleep there again whenever he got his room back? He really had the wickedest of luck. For weeks, Raph had been mooning over the woman he saw on the balcony and it turned out she was actually his brother's savior, and apparently intimate friend.

Michelangelo was too handsy, he decided with a frown. He always seemed to have an excuse to touch her and she wasn't any better. Even with Donnie, Sage had no care at all about patting his cheeks or holding his hand. He was green with jealousy, pun intended and all. He wanted to be that close to her. He wanted her to feel at ease around him but every time he got near her, she pierced him with those eyes and his tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth. So he ended up avoiding her.

For what seemed like the hundredth time in the last hour, Raph squirmed in the uncomfortable cushions sighing. Maybe he should turn on the TV...

 _Yeah_ , he thought, that sounded like an idea. He would keep the volume low and that way he could see how the upside world was doing. He was about to turn it on when the presence light in his room was lit.

He frowned. What was she doing up at two am?

Raph was slightly tempted to overlook the fact that she should be resting but he couldn't ignore the loud thump and the curse he heard next. He took a swift jump into the next floor and opened the door after a quick knock, finding Sage almost falling off the edge of the bed and rubbing her forehead. It had a red spot, he noticed with a scowl.

"What're you doin'?" he snapped in a hush tone, fighting the nervous knots tying his insides as she fixed him with her eyes like the sea. "You gotta rest, not try t' get yerself more injured!"

She had the decency to look sheepish. "Sorry... did I wake you?"

"No but that ain't the point," he answered maybe a little too sourly. "What are you doin'?"

"I can't sleep so I thought I might read a little... Donnie lent me one of his books and it's really interesting..." She stopped rubbing the red spot on her head and picked up the book to show him - **_Cosmos_** by Carl Sagan. Raphael furrowed his eye ridge.

"Y'can read that?"

"Of course I can read it," she hissed, clearly offended by his question. "I have a master's degree in ancient mythology and a PHD in advanced sciences, do I by any chance look dumb to you?"

He raised his hands up in surrender. _Shit_ , he really didn't mean to offend her. "Sorry," he mumbled more gently.

"It's fine." Sage sighed, touching her sore forehead again.

"What about dat? How'd you get that bump in yer head?" Raph caught her looking down. He followed her gaze, spotting his leather-bound sketch book that he kept under the bed. He was forced to fight back a grin. "Were ya snoopin' around?"

Raph loved the way her cheeks turned pink. He wanted to make her blush more, she really looked lovely. As she tucked some of her curls behind her ear, his eyes followed the gesture intensely which only seemed to aggravate her embarrassment.

"I'm very sorry... I was just curious..." she said nervously.

Maybe he would regret it later, but still he crouched down and picked up the sketch book. He swept the dust off from the black cover and handed it to her. Sage stared at him in surprise. Of course she would be. After all, he had barely even spoken two whole sentences to her.

"You can have it. I need a new one anyway," he said, "but you gotta rest. So if you don't turn this light off in fifteen minutes I'm comin' in here and I'll do it myself."

After she agreed, Raph stepped out of the room. He stood just outside the closed door for a moment, listening to the sound of the pages turning. When she gasped, he grinned and leapt through the railing, landing on the ground floor and plopping down on the couch once more. He knew what had caught her atention. He had done a couple sketches of her after the night he saw her on the balcony. As much as he wanted to go back into the room and see her face, Sage turned off the lights not long after so he didn't get the chance.

He snuggled a bit more into the cushions, wondering if she would be able to look him in the face the next morning or if she would be too embarrassed. He hoped she wouldn't be.

* * *

Sage was startled awake the next morning by a rather loud knock on the door. Glancing briefly at the clock she realized it wasn't as early as she initially assumed and she should probably stop staying up until late. _Or maybe I shouldn't_ , she thought with a smile, considering last night was the first time she had an actual conversation with Raphael. He truly was the difficult brother, just like Mikey told her.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Mikey as he let himself in. He was carrying a tray with a porridge bowl, orange juice and a little rose in a crystal vase. He was grinning widely which made her erupt in a fit of giggles. Mikey was such a goofball. Who wouldn't be infected by his good humor?

"I brought my princess the healthiest, most tastiest breakfast by Chef Mikester himself!" he chanted happily approaching the bed.

"Aww you spoil me too much, Mikey!" She chuckled.

"Oh hush! You deserve to be just as pampered as I was by you," he said as a matter-of-factly. He furrowed his forehead, eyeing something behind her pillow. "What's that?"

Following his eyes, she noticed the sketch book exactly underneath where she had laid her head. She blushed. She forgot about that.

"Oh uh, it's nothing, just a sketch book. So are you going to give me that fabulous breakfast or not?" Sage asked, effectively changing the focus of his attention. Mikey sat with her while she ate, chatting animatedly. He was completely oblivious to the fact that she wasn't listening to a single word he said and she was thankful for that.

The events of last night played around in her mind. She could hardly believe he had actually come to check on her. Well, in all fairness, she was making a bit of a ruckus and he was sleeping in the living room so it was only natural he would be concerned, especially after she cursed. Seeing him walk through that doorway with those sultry eyes glaring at her really made her heart jump. She hadn't had a reaction like that since she started dating her ex-husband, even then it wasn't quite so strong.

What in the world was hapening to her? She already knew she was attracted to the strong, silent and dark type of guy but did the same apply with humanoid turtles?

An incredibly vivid image of Raphael standing with his deliciously muscly arms crossed over an equally hard plastron; his strong face set in an seemingly permanent scowl took her breath way. He looked human enough to her, and she was oddly fascinated by his different skin color and texture, just like she had first been with Mikey. Perhaps it was because of her choice of profession. She did spent all of her days surrounded by animals.

No; she shook her head. It wasn't like she thought of them as animals. She simply didn't care that they were different. It only meant they were special and unique, and she liked them all just as they were.

Sage thought about the sketch book again. There were sketches of her in the last few pages of the book, beautifully made too. Raphael truly had an artistic hand, and no one would've guessed. He had captured nearly every detail of her face, although he might have a slightly exaggerated perception of her. She hardly thought she was that beautiful.

She knew it was him on that chimney on that night, weeks ago. After Mikey had told her about his brothers and about how Raph was always disappearing during nighttime, it wasn't all that difficult to guess. He was far away from her loft, and he was half hidden by the shadows and wearing a sort of shiny outfit but the helmet was off and she had very good eyesight. Sage could tell by the contours of his face what he was and she could tell he had dark eyes. Those eyes had been watching her then.

He really shouldn't have eyes like that... They showed too much burning passion.

"You alright, babe?" Mikey's soft voice snapped her back to reality. "You were staring off the whole time..."

She flashed him a reassuring smile. "I'm fine, Mikey, no need to fuss over me," she said. "But now that you asked, I think a bath would make me feel a lot better. Do you think I could have one?"

"Sure, just be careful with those stiches."

"Of course!" Sage waved off his concern. When he suddenly swept her up in his arms, she squeaked with the startle and she instinctively clung to his neck. "Bloody hell, Mikey, give a girl a warning before you do something like this!"

"And miss on a face like that? No way!" He laughed, getting himself an eye roll. Carrying her like she weighed less than a feather, Mikey took her to the small bathroom on the first floor and gently sat her down on the toilet. He turned on the hot water, plugging the bathtub. "You can use anything you need. When you're done, knock on the door or call me, okay?"

He left her to her bath and Sage undressed carefully while she waited for the bathtub to fill. The wound was looking better. She was thankful for her extraordinarily fast healing body otherwise she wouldn't be able to move around as much as she did. A few more days and she might even be walking. Okay, highly unlikely but still, she was allowed to at least dream. Her only main concern was the clinic and she hoped Donnie had her phone fixed by tonight so she could call someone to look after it for a while.

She lowered herself slowly into the warm water, sighing contently. She hadn't taken a bath in what seemed like forever, she thought as she leaned back, sinking lower until she had water up to her chin. It felt heavenly.

Then there was of course James. He was supposed to be taking Damian to Mexico for the next two weeks since school's summer break had started yesterday. Sage wasn't going to deny her son that. So she would have to figure out a way to get him up top and to his father's estate, hopefully with the help of the brothers.

Sage looked through the different scented shampoos curiously. They had more than she assumed, probably brought to them by their friend April, whom she was dying to meet. Just by smelling them, she could immediately tell which one belonged to each brother. Green apple for Mikey. Spearmint and lemon oils for Donnie. Cedar wood for Raphael. His was the strongest and she remembered it clearly from when he had carried her into the lair, but it was mixed with something else then. Something spicy and alluring which she recognized was his own body scent.

Deciding it probably wouldn't be the best idea to get his smell on her skin, no matter how much she was tempted to, Sage opted for a lemon scented one.

Once she was finally cleaned and feeling a thousand pounds lighter, she eased out of the tub and wrapped a fluffy towel around her. She knocked on the door a few times like Mikey instructed her to but there was no answer. Frowning, she repeated, this time more heavily. She was met with no answer again.

Sage huffed and pounded furiously on the door. When it swung open, she froze.

"R-Raphael?!" she squeaked, staring at the petrified turtle in front of her. If she wasn't as shocked as he was, she might've laughed at his face. Her hands flew to her chest to make sure her towel was tightly secured and she gulped when his eyes followed the movement and then roamed over her figure. The bathroom heated, making her sweat and it wasn't because of the steam.

She briefly heard the sound of someone coming down the stairs whistling. Before she could react, Raphael suddenly stepped fully inside and closed the door behind him. Sage gaped at him, trying desperately to ignore the frantic pounding of her heart as she realized the bathroom was too small for the two of them to stand in there without nearly touching each other.

"Are you insane?" she snapped, hiding her nervousness behind irritation.

"Mikey was gonna see you in dat!" he growled back fiercely, his eyes darkening.

He was too close. She could feel his hot breath on her face and she was fairly certain the loud thumping she was hearing was his heartbeat. Then again, maybe that was hers. She ignored the way her body reacted and faced him directly, tilting her chin up defiantly set on not showing him any sign of vulnerability.

"Your brother has seen me with less clothing than this, Raphael," she said. It was with great pleasure that Sage saw the muscles in his jaw clench.

"Want me to call 'im then? I bet you much rather get his help dan mine!"

"I didn't say that," she started, softening a little, "I never rejected your help, Raphael, you just never offered it to me."

Raph faltered, knowing she was right. He opened and closed his hands by his sides in a nervous habit. "I ain't good with women," he finally confessed, breaking the silence. Sage gave him a strange look, lifting an eyebrow, and he rolled his eyes. "Human women, a'ight? I ain't good with _human_ women."

Well that got her laughing. "Sorry," she added quickly when he made a face. "You do know women are all the same, right? It doesn't matter if we're from different species, when it comes to attitude and thinking we are all pretty similar."

"That ain't true..." he mumbled under his breath. "Look, you want my help or not? You ain't supposed to be this long on yer feet."

"Oh so you want to carry me out of this bathroom where you locked yourself with me for the last fifteen minutes while I'm in nothing but a towel and take me to your room in front of your brothers and father?" Sage smirked when her words sunk in his head and he scowled.

"There ain't much ova choice, is there?" He growled, "either way we gotta come out."

"Hey don't look at me like that, I don't mind it," she chuckled, peering up at him through her long lashes. "But I'm pretty sure you're going to be embarrassed, Raphael."

He made a guttural sound in the back his throat that rumbled pleasantly in her belly. "Can you just stop callin' me that? Geez, yer a freakin' frustratin' woman, y'know that?"

Before she could talk back, Raphael swooped her in his arms and exited the hot steamy bathroom. Like she predicted, Donnie was sitting by his desk working on fixing her phone and Mikey was on the floor playing PS3 with Damian, and looking like he was losing too. They all glanced up at the two of them and the expression on Mikey's face was more than enough to make her to blush.

Raphael, however, was unaffected by the attention. He ignored his brothers and made his way up the stairs leading to his room. Sage lowered her head to his wide shoulder.

"What don't you want me to call you?" she asked curiously.

"Raphael," he grunted.

"But that's your name..."

Kicking the door open, he stepped inside and sat her down on the bed. "Yeah but everyone calls me Raph," he said.

"I'm not calling you that." Sage pointed to the orange oversized sweater Mikey had given her to wear, "can you hand me that please?"

He tossed her the sweater. "Why not?"

"Because I like your name," she explained as she pulled the sweater over her head, dropping the towel once it covered her to the knees. "I think it's beautiful."

She might've been mistaken, but Raphael's emerald green cheeks turned a light shade of pink. Sage smiled; he was cute when he was embarrassed. He ignored her comment. He cleared his throat and gently helped her under the covers, rearranging her pillow so she could be comfortable leaning against it.

He smelled so good. And he was so warm. She wished she could reach out and pull him into the bed with her. She wanted to cuddle against him, nuzzle his neck and chest. Something in her face showed him what she was thinking because Raphael's sultry eyes darkened when he pulled back and saw her face. She wondered if he had ever felt the warmth of another human body before, or if he had ever been touched by a real woman.

Her hand moved without her consent, gingerly brushing his still rosy cheek. She felt him stop breathing.

"Thank you, Raphael," she murmured softly. He drew back abruptly as if electrocuted. Sage frowned, looking at her hand deeply hurt. What did she do wrong?

After grunting a 'you're welcome', Raph exited the room, leaving her alone. She sighed dejectedly but thankfully she barely had any chance to dwell on his sudden coldness because soon a disgruntled Mikey and her perky son showed up to keep her company.

* * *

Karai prepared herself for the punishment coming her away. She took pride in not even flinching when his heavy hand struck her cheek, nearly sending her flying backwards hadn't she stood her ground stubbornly.

"HOW COULD YOU LET THE BOY GO?!" her new master wailed angrily.

"We did not let him go, Your Highness," she tried to explain, hanging her hand down. "He was stolen."

"YOU FOOL!" He spat distastefully. "You allow for our only lead to the scroll to be taken right underneath your noses! You and your clan of imbeciles are useless!"

"I will accept whichever sentence you decide for me, my Lord, but please spare my ninjas. This falls entirely on me," Karai begged as she dropped to her knees at the mercy of her master's cruelty.

The man sneered at her. "My time is far too precious to be wasted on shameful vermin like you. If this is proving to be too much for you, perhaps it might be time for my faithful sons to join you."

As if summoned by his words, three tall and large figures stepped from behind his throne. One was the spitting image of his father, but the other two couldn't look any more different. Their hair was dark as night and their eyes shockingly pale blue. The three of them carried fierce looks on their faces and the air around them cracked with a power that made Karai shudder in fear.

"Can I trust you, my sons?"

They bowed down to him respectfully, placing their fists over their hearts. "We shall not fail you, Father."

* * *

 **Alright, one more chapter done, guys! :D What did you think?**


	8. Chapter 8 - Opening Up

**One more chapter, guys! I wanna thank you so much for the positive feedback I've been getting! I really love this story eheh**

* * *

 **8\. Opening Up**

" _The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them."_

 _\- Ernest Hemingway_

Sage looked away from the television when she heard Donnie call her. He sat down next to her and reached out his hand to return her now perfectly fixed I-Phone, which he had worked on for the last few days. It gave him a little more trouble than he expected but nothing a genius like him couldn't solve.

"My phone! Finally!" She grinned, pulling him into a quick hug that brought a blush to his cheeks. "Thank you so much, Donnie!"

Donnie rubbed the back of his neck. He still wasn't used to how easily Sage touched them. Nothing about their different anatomy seemed to unnerve her, she truly was comfortable around all of them. She was even getting used to the unusual conditions of the lair and she had been there for less than a week.

"No problem. I managed to save all your contacts but your memory card was damaged beyond repair so you probably lost everything you had in it," Donnie informed her apologetically.

"Don't worry, I have a safe copy in my work computer at the clinic," she said, waving off his concern as she typed away on her phone. "I have to make a few calls, is that alright?"

Donnie shrugged. "Yeah, sure. Mikey, turn off the volume!"

First, Sage called her business partner. Amelia was in a complete state of panic when she answered; she was on the verge of calling the police to look for her, and she gave Sage an earful. She reassured her friend that she was fine and came up with an excuse for her thrashed apartment and unavailable phone line. She hated lying to the people she loved, even if she was only omiting part of the truth, but there was no other way around it.

After Amelia agreed to take over the clinic until she got back, Sage talked to her parents next. Thankfully neither her mother, nor her father had noticed her absence since Sage was never one to frequently check up on them, and they still hadn't informed told about her loft. So Sage gave them the same story she gave to Amelia, dismissing their concerns by assuring them she was fine and currently staying at a friends' place. A part of her wanted to check up on her brother Rowan too, but she figured it would be pointless. He probably wouldn't pick up the phone if he saw her number anyway.

Finally, she dialed James' number, dreading a conversation that was sure to leave her with a headache.

«"Hello?"

"Before you can bestow me with your very colorful insults, I would like you to know I have a perfectly good explanation for not answering any of your calls," she said quickly in the hopes of avoiding conflict.

«"Well then by all means humor me, Sage." She could hear the scorn in his voice and it was easy to picture his scowl as well.

"My house was robbed and they pretty much wrecked all of my communication devices," she started. "I was injured after they tried to attack me so I'm staying over with my friends. They're taking care of me, but I only got my phone fixed tonight."

There was a brief pause on the other line before he spoke. «"How bad were you hurt? Have you been seen by a doctor yet?"

"Are you concerned about me, James? How endearing," she scoffed. "I'm fine, thanks. I'm just calling to check if you're still taking Damian to Mexico tomorrow."

«"Of course I'm taking him, what kind of father do you think I am?!"

Sage bit her tongue to stop a particularly nasty comeback for the sake of everyone present, her son included.

"Okay then. What time do you want him there?" After he answered, they exchanged a few more words and then she passed the phone to Damian so he could chat with his father. Sage heaved a sigh, letting her head rest back against the couch. She was right; it did give her a headache.

The cushion tipped with Mikey's weight as he sat down next to her and she promptly moved to nestle under his arm, craving his pleasant warmth.

"You need me to take D tomorrow?" Mikey offered kindly.

She gave him a perplexed look. "You would do that? Really?"

"Yeah sure, babe." He shrugged, smiling. "You can't go anyway, so I can do that for you."

"Hum..." Sage hesitated. Mikey was precious to her. She didn't want James to figure out what he was and send a search party to capture him and lock him in a lab for scientific experiments.

Donnie patted her hand reassuringly, easily catching on to her worries. "We do have disguises, Sage, and Mikey is a big turtle. He can take care of himself."

"He can? From what happened the last time, I could hardly guess!"

"Hey!" Mikey objected. "That was an accident!"

"Precisely!" Sage pinned him down with fierce sea green eyes, trying to show him just how concerned she was. "James is extremely keen, Mikey! He's not someone who is easily tricked and he's far more dangerous than you could possibly imagine. His company gives him a lot of leverage for him to act as he pleases."

"Pff, he's an ass, Sage. He doesn't scare me."

"Mikey-"

"I can ask Casey and April t' take 'im," Raphael chirped in cutting her off.

Sage met his eyes with surprise. He had been practicing on his punching bag for the last hour and a half, so naturally she just assumed he wasn't listening to them. Apparently she was mistaken.

"You're not going to ask them for that," Mikey argued, "I'm perfectly capable of doing it."

Raph rolled his eyes. "I didn't say ya weren't, nutshell, but she'll be less worried if ya didn't."

Mikey scrunched his forehead, scrutinizing his older brother attentively. Since when did Raph worry about Sage's concern? He had barely seen them talking to each other before the strange incident in the bathroom, which he was still trying to wrap his head around of but unsuccessfully. Afterwards they did speak more normally and Raph didn't seem so tense around her anymore, but not nearly enough for Mikey to think his brother had suddenly become an expert on Sage.

 _Although they do seem more comfortable around each other_ , Mikey reflected thoughtfully. He still hadn't decided if that was a good or a bad thing though.

"She hasn't even met them yet," he finally pointed out.

"Then let's invite 'em fer dinner."

"Really?" Sage broke into a toothy grin, her eyes widening happily. "Oh I would love to meet them!"

The brothers chuckled at her bubbling enthusiasm and they agreed to have their friends over.

* * *

She probably shouldn't be up and about so often, she briefly thought. Donnie kept pestering her about it even though her wound was healing at such an astounding pace. She tried telling him several times that she didn't heal like normal people did, she never did even as a child, but he was too stubborn and too overzealous. He was also curious so he had decided to run a series of tests on her blood. That was fine by Sage. It would be fun to see if he could actually find something out of the ordinary.

Looking in the mirror on the red wall of Raph's room, she rolled her shirt up to inspect her abdomen. A couple more days and she could probably take the stiches off. What a relief that would be. She was tired of being treated like a damsel in distress. Sage much rather be the doctor than the patient. She had very little patience for laying around doing nothing.

Sage rummaged through the duffel bag Mikey had filled with some of her clothes and brought back from her apartment. She pulled out a turquoise strapless dress and quickly changed into it. The cotton fabric was soft so it wouldn't cause any itching on her sensitive stitched wound. She let her curls down in their usual mess seeing as she couldn't really do much with it. Her hair always seemed to have a personality of its own. When she was younger it used to annoy her, but now Sage didn't actually mind it's unruliness. It saved her a lot of time in the mornings.

She sat down on the bed, tying the straps of her sandals when her eyes fell on the sketch book again. She kept being drawn to it. She loved those beautiful pencil drawings. Opening it on one of the sketches of her face, Sage sighed and ran a gentle hand over the soft shading and thin lines.

A soft cough startled her. Sage twisted in her seat to find Raphael leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed. He was watching her with dancing dark eyes and he had a smug smirk plastered on his face that made her blood boil for several different reasons.

"Like 'em?" he asked nonchalantly.

Sage gave him a little smile. "They're wonderful, Raphael."

Raph rolled his eyes at her persistent usage of his full name and moved further inside the room.

"I thought you'd be demandin' explanations after seein' 'em, but I guess I was wrong," he said, referring to the opened page with the drawing of her face. "Ya don't look surprised."

"I'm not." She shrugged. "I saw you that night. I knew you were watching me."

"I figured."

"You could've talked to me, you know... I wouldn't have been scared."

Raph snorted. "Yeah well... I didn't know you had Mikey in dere wit' you. If I did, maybe I would've."

Sage chuckled. She stood up, carefully stepping closer to him. The way his eyes followed her melted her inside. Boldly she tugged at the ends of his red mask, smiling playfully. "Are you jealous because Mikey met me first?"

"No," Raph snapped, maybe a little too quickly.

"You're a terrible liar, Raphael." She laughed, moving to walk past him when his arm suddenly snaked around her waist stopping her. She gasped with the feeling of his plastron on her back.

"Can you please just stop sayin' my name like that?" he lisped hastily in her ear. His breath made her shudder pleasantly.

"Why? Don't you like it?" Sage asked in a shaky voice as she closed her eyes. His hold on her waist tightened gently and Sage could feel his mouth dangerously near her naked shoulder.

"I t'ink I mig't like it a little too much, dat's de problem." Before she could assure him it was no problem at all for her, he let her go. He grabbed the CD case he came in looking for and simply left the room without another word.

Sage grimaced. That evasive escape was starting to grow old real fast. Was Raphael really that scared of relaxing around her? He was always so defensive when they talked and, whether he realized it or not, he was giving her a lot of mixed signs. He wasn't the only one confused about the way he was feeling.

* * *

It was official. Sage absolutely loved April. She was a woman with a very strong character and that alone was enough to make her appreciate the red-head. She was also very funny and bright. They hit it off right away, and Sage was very impressed by her relationship with her husband. Casey reminded her a little of Raphael, but with much less polish personality wise, and April knew exactly how to make him bend at her every will. It was very amusing to watch.

As they all sat around the table, Sage felt her chest warm in a way it hadn't in a very long time. Damian had jumped into Mikey's lap midway through dinner and the turtle was happy to play along and feed him, sometimes hitting him in his cheeks with food, making whine and erupt in a fit of giggles. Splinter was positively beaming as he maintained an entertaining debate with Donnie and April, and Casey and Raph were goofing around like the best friends they obviously were.

A family. They were like a real big family.

The last time she felt so at home with so many people was when Oliver was still alive. She closed her eyes when the already familiar pain throbbed in her chest. Whoever said it would get better with time was wrong. It never got any better.

Sage felt the burning sensation of someone watching her. She met his dark smoldering eyes and her heart skipped a beat. Raphael was sitting across from her with Casey by his left chatting away completely oblivious to his best friend's lack of attention. She felt terrifyingly naked under Raph's stare. She had realized a while ago that he was oddly perceptive and for whatever reason he could read her annoyingly easily. She should've known he would pick up on her sudden mood change.

Surprising her, his lips stretched into a small smile and his eyes softened ever so slightly. He tried to play it cool by taking a large sip of his beer and making an effort to participate in Casey's chatter, but Sage could still see him stealing glances towards her. She chuckled softly to herself.

Unnoticed by the pair, April was observing the interaction with a growing curiosity, but she had decided to hold on to what she had just witnessed for the time being.

* * *

The next morning, Casey and April came by to pick Damian up as promised. After they took him, Sage locked herself in her temporary room. She hated thinking about being away from her son for so long - Damian was her whole world. Even scarier was having him stay with James in another country for two whole weeks. What if something happened and Damian needed her? He was a special boy, he needed to be carefully taken care of. Besides being constantly teased about his different colored eyes by other children, he could have a seizure at any time. James was easily distracted by pretty faces and shiny things, and he was terrible with handling their son's sickness.

Sage had just finished getting into a pair of jeans and a purple blouse when someone knocked on the door. For a brief moment she was tempted to send the person away, but she felt like she shouldn't be rude. They had done nothing but worry and take care of her.

Of course it had to be Raphael. She rolled her eyes slightly annoyed, which only got her a displeased scowl directed to her.

"Well ain't you a ray ov sunshine today," he said with a snide. "Dis is my room in case you forgot."

"If you want your room back you can have it. I'll just take my things and move into Mikey's room," she snapped angrily, moving to pick up her duffel bag and leave like he seemed to want her to.

Raphael's hand darted to her elbow to stop her. "Ya ain't goin' nowhere, Sage, put that bag down!"

"You don't have a say in what I do or don't do! Let me go right now!"

"No!"

"Bloody hell, just take those fucking hands off me!" His face darkened and he immediately let her go. Sage regretted her words as soon as they were out. "Raphael, I'm so sorry..."

He stepped back when she tried to reach for him. "No. Ya were pretty clear just now about me touchin' ya."

"I didn't mean it like that... fuck...!" Sage lowered herself to the bed, dropping head into her hands. "I'm worried beyond my wits about Damian and I'm taking it out on you... I'm sorry..."

At first Sage thought he would leave. Surprisingly, he heaved a defeated sigh and sat down next to her, still without touching her. She frowned.

"I get yer worried, an' I know how good it feels t' take it out on everythin' else around ya. Trust me," he started, the harshness dropping from his growling voice. "But I thought the kid was real happy to be goin'... he kept yapin' about all the cool things he was gonna do wit' his dad an' everythin'..."

"Well, I hope he doesn't get too disappointed when he realizes James will most likely only spend half of the time with him and the rest chasing after every beautiful Latin woman that walks by," she sneered.

"Fer real?" Raph raised an eye ridge, clearly displeased by what she told him. She nodded grimly. "Geez, what an ass."

"Yeah..." She sighed, falling back on the mattress staring at the ceiling. "What I'm really worried about though is if Damian has another fit... it can turn out very serious if it's not immediately taken care of..."

"Another fit?"

"Damian was born with epilepsy," she explained. "His seizures are less frequent now but sometimes the most trivial of things might trigger a reaction... when it happens we have to act very quickly or he can bite off his tongue or get a serious head injury if he crashes to the floor."

"I had no idea..." he muttered under his breath.

Silence fell over them as each was lost in their own musings. Raphael peered at her from over his shoulder, hating the sudden crestfallen expression on her lovely face. He wasn't very comfortable around kids but he liked Damian. He was a very nice boy who was always trying to make him crack a smile with silly jokes or dragging him to play games with him.

He wondered if he should leave. Sage was obviously sad and he was terrible with dealing with emotions. He was surprised, however, when she suddenly broke the silence.

"My younger brother, Oliver, had the same condition," she said in a low whisper. "He struggled with it all his life... sometimes we would just be playing on the street and he would fall down shaking with his eyes rolling to the back of his head... it was absolutely terrifying... When he started playing the piano it got better for a while, but then he went into another seizure in the middle of a concert and he broke his nose on the keys. It was such a scandal... he almost gave up playing for good."

"We wouldn't let him of course, and I think he was so tired of me pestering him about it he eventually went back to music school," she chuckled softly. "When we grew up, he got into Julliard with a merit scholarship. I was so proud... We hired someone to be with him all the time so he would never have to worry about getting injured again. Her name was Lily. She was such a sweet girl, it was really no surprise they ended up falling in love..."

Raphael moved to lay down beside her on the bed. He propped his head on his elbow, looking at her but keeping a safe distance between them.

"Why do I get de feelin' yer gonna tell me somethin' bad?" he asked carefully. She smiled bitterly.

"Because I am..." she admitted. "Oliver became an amazing pianist and he flew all over the world to perform. Everyone wanted him to play at their concerts. But three years ago, he was mugged on his way home. The guy just wanted his money but he had a gun pointed at him... Oliver had a panic induced seizure and the guy got startled and pressed the trigger by accident... It was a shot to the heart so he was dead by the time the paramedics arrived... there was nothing they could've possibly done..."

"Sage..." he called softly, feeling his chest grow heavy with sorrow for her. _Losin' a brother like dat..._ Raph couldn't imagine what she must've felt.

"I was angry for so long you know? I kept wanting to search for revenge and at the same time I couldn't stop worrying about Damian because what if something like that happened to him some day? I don't know how I could live if I lost my baby too..." She choked on her pain, fighting back the tears prickling her eyes. "Nothing was ever the same without Oliver. My sister pretty much ran away to Kansas with her husband and her kids, and my brother Rowan is just... lost... He quit his dream of being a marine and tried to go after the guy who killed Oliver, but the police caught him first so now he just goes around at night doing god knows what, and he's bringing me ancient scrolls that nearly get me killed... My parents pretend they're alright but I know they're a mess and their marriage is hanging on by a thread... Sometimes it's too much and all I want is to grab Damian, run away and find some place far from everything..."

Wiping a stray tear, Sage rolled to her side, looking at him with eyes filled with sadness. She gave him a half-smile. "I don't know why I'm telling you all this... the only other person I ever talked about it was with Mikey..."

"You can talk t' me about anythin' ya want, Sage," Raph stated softly. "I don't know what you went through wit' losin' a brother like dat an' I don't ever wanna find out... but I know how much it hurts when someone you love starts t' drift away from you and ya can't reach 'em no matter what you do or how hard ya try to..."

"You're speaking about your brother, Leonardo, aren't you?" When he fixed her with a silent question, she elaborated, "Mikey told me about it."

"He told ya everythin'?" He grunted, deciding his brother was too much of a blabber-mouth for him to even waste energy being mad.

Sage shook her head. "No, I don't think he did actually. He just said his older brother ran away from home after a nasty fight with you guys and no one knows where he is."

"Mikey embellished that story a little." He chuckled dryly. "The fight was between me and Leo, they just got dragged into de middle. I guess I shoulda known better dan t' mess wit' him dat night... he was in de worst humor ever but I was angry. I wanted t' go out an' he wasn't lettin' me. We always fought about everythin', and I do mean everythin', but I never thought he would..."

Raph clenched his jaw, struggling to keep his temper down. "He snapped I t'ink... it was bound t' happen sometime, y'know. He bottles up everythin'. One minute I was fightin' my brother an' the next he was someone I didn't know and he wanted t' hurt me. So he did. See this?" He gestured to the long scar marring the skin of his bicep and then to the two other smaller marks on his right cheek. "Dis was done by the monster who took over my brother. He cut Mikey too, on his chest, but dat was an accident. Mikey was tryin' t' get in between the two ova us."

When he was finished, she reached out to touch the scar on his arm. He tried to move out of her reach but Sage was too stubborn. She thrust herself into him, grasping his shoulder to stop him. Raph swallowed a groan as he felt every soft curve of her warm body close to him. She smelled so good, like citrus flowers and something else sweeter.

 _How can she touch me so easily_?

Raph closed his eyes, trying to control his raging pulse. Didn't she find him repulsive?

His breath hitched when her fingers traced his scarred bicep, then trailing over the many other scars on his plastron. She placed the palm of her hand above his heart feeling its rapid and strong beat.

"I'm sorry for your brother..." she whispered softly.

He brought an arm hesitantly around her waist. "I'm sorry fer yours too..."

"And I'm sorry for saying something like that to you..."

"It's fine," he said, furrowing his forehead. "Who'd wanna have my hands on 'em anyway. I'm hedious-"

"Don't say that!" Sage cut him off mid-sentence, grabbing his face so hard he briefly feared she might've pulled a muscle on him. He stared at her wide eyed. "You're wonderful, Raphael! Please don't ever say that again."

He shook his head and broke free from her grasp, sitting up. "Ya don't gotta spare my feelings, Sage. I've seen myself in de mirror."

She touched his shoulder but he shrugged her hand off. "I am not sparing your feelings, Raphael, I am being honest," she insisted. "Do I act like I think you're anything less than beautiful? I've never shied away from you, Raphael, you know that! I've thought about you every day since I saw you watching me on my balcony..."

"You don't know what yer talkin' about, yer just sad an' yer cravin' comfort. That's all."

Raphael stood up and left the room, ignoring her pleas. He had to get out of the lair. He needed air and he definitely needed to stay away from Sage for a while. He couldn't think clearly when she was around.


	9. Chapter 9 - Returning

**9\. Returning**

 _"A man without a vision of his future, always returns to his past."_

 _\- Author Unknown._

"Are you okay, babe?" Mikey asked worriedly as he plopped down on the couch beside her.

Sage shook her head, snapping out of her daze. The credits were already playing on the screen of the television, she noticed with a frown. Had she really been staring off so long that she actually missed the entire movie? _That's just sad_ , she thought; she loved the _**Alien**_.

"I'm fine, Mikey. Why?"

"You don't look so good..." He brushed a few curls from her face, brushing her cheek affectionately. "Did Raph say something mean to you this morning?"

Her frown deepened but she shook her head. After sharing that little moment of intimacy, Raphael had ran out of the lair and she didn't see him until this morning. She wanted to talk to him so she cornered him in the kitchen, while he was having breakfast, and she really should've known better than to pick a fight with a guy when he was eating. Man or turtle, one just doesn't get between them and their food.

So they ended up arguing, and it was such a stupid argument. They didn't even fight about what she wanted to talk with him in the first place. Sage had scolded him about leaving without so much as a notice to anybody and Raph had responded by rudely pointing out she didn't have any say in what he did or didn't do. Much like she had done to him the other night.

Sage sighed. In the end, her only accomplishment was getting Raphael to flee out of the lair again.

"No, he didn't... Why, did you hear us fighting?" Sage said, breaking the silence. She grabbed his hand and moved his arm around her so she could nestle herself against him.

"A little... Raph's tone of voice is kinda hard to ignore," he joked. She snorted. "Seriously though, what happened? I thought you were getting along better..."

"We're getting along fine... we just have personalities that clash."

"Everyone's personality clashes with Raph's. He's like the moodiest turtle on the planet!"

"He's not that bad," she said softly.

As Mikey watched her with an unreadable expression, Sage hid her face by burying it on his plastron. She nuzzled the hard and cool surface fondly, hoping to distract him.

Although most wouldn't realize it, Mikey was surprisingly good at reading faces, especially hers, and he was also slightly overprotective of her. Not in a bad way of course. Sage was fairly sure their friendship was strictly platonic, but she wasn't ready for him to dig into what she was feeling for Raphael when she hadn't even done it herself.

"Well, if he gives you a hard time you talk to me and I'll kick his shell straight back into place," he said, breaking the silence.

She chuckled, hugging him even tighter delighted by his urge to defend her. "My knight in shiny shell!"

"Hey you're gettin' it!" He exclaimed with a giant grin.

"Oh geez, Mikey, you're starting to rub off on her," Donnie quipped in from his lab laughing.

"No, I'm not!" Mikey got a mischievous twinkle in his baby blue eyes as he looked down at her. "Wanna see what's a real 'rubbing off' from the Mikester?"

"Mikey..." She drawled warningly but he only smirked bigger. Sage tried to escape but he pounced on her, throwing her on her back on the couch as he started rubbing his face hard on her cheeks. "AHHHHH!"

Sage laughed, trying to shove him off of her but he was too heavy. He licked her face and started tickling her sides, still careful not to damage her healing wound. Sage made a face in mock disgust.

"Oh for the love of...! DONNIE! You have to save me from this sick and perverted mutant turtle!" she shouted out between giggles. Donnie's booming laugh echoed through the walls of the lair as he joined their playfullness.

"I'm coming to your rescue, my lady!"

Soon they both had turned the tables on Mikey and he was the one being pinned down on the floor as they ruthlessly attacked him with tickles.

* * *

Leonardo stood outside the main entrance of his home. He was frozen to the ground. His shame was a heavy weight that refused to leave his mind and he suddenly wasn't so sure if coming back was the right thing to do.

There were loud barks of laughter rumbling from behind the door and he could hear the smile in his father's voice. He felt a stab on his chest. How could he face them after what he had done? They were going to hate him. They were all going to look down on him with spite, and they would certainly tell him to disappear and never to return.

He was a monster.

And yet, Leo refused to turn around and walk away. He clenched his hands tightly, the veins in his arms bulging with the amount of blood pumping through them. It was enough of wallowing in self-loathing and self-pity.

 _Enough!_

He took a deep steadying breath with his eyes closed and when he opened them again, Leo pushed the button. The gates opened to let him through, but he was not expecting the sight he was met with. Not at all.

Mikey had Donnie pinned down on the ground and he was pinching him on his sides, both of them howling with laughter. There was a woman he didn't know perched on top of Mikey. She was apparently trying to save the other turtle from his attack, and his father was sitting cross-legged on his meditation mat but far from being meditating and instead he was cheering them on.

Everything seemed to freeze mid-action as they saw him walk in, his brothers' faces were of utter disbelief. Long minutes dragged painfully until someone reacted. The first person to move was Splinter, who stood up and approached him with beady eyes filled with kindness.

"Welcome home, my son," he said. His voice didn't display a single ounce of malice or disappointment, only a genuine happiness to have him back. It completely stripped him of his defenses. Leo fell to his knees with tears streaming down his cheeks. When his father wrapped him in his arms, he clung to the back of his robes and he buried his face in his chest, sobbing heavily.

"I'm sorry, father!" he wailed. "I'm so sorry!"

"It's alright, Leonardo... everything is forgiven..." Splinter assured him softly. He gently withdrew him away from his chest and tilted his face up to him. "Wipe your tears, son, and make peace with your brothers."

He did as he was told. As he stood, Mikey engulfed him a bone-crushing hug that nearly sent him flying backwards.

"Holy shell, Leo, we missed you so much!" Mikey cried excitedly. Leo returned the hug just as fiercely.

"I missed you too, baby bro!" Leo pushed him at an arms' length, scanning his face still struggling to believe Mikey was right in front of him. "How are you here? April came looking for me, she said you were missing! I've been worried sick..."

"You were worried? That's rich!" Donnie joined them, fixing his brother with harsh hazel eyes. Leo flinched; he should've seen that one coming. "What have you been doing in South America all this time, Leo? You've been gone for nearly a year! Couldn't you have written to tell us you were fine?"

"I'm sorry, Donnie... I have no excuse for my behavior, I am clearly aware of that..." Leo mumbled with grief.

He closed his eyes, waiting for his brother to yell, or even to strike him. Whatever Donnie had ready for him, Leo was prepared to accept it willingly. He was completely surprised however, when instead he was pulled into another passionate hug.

"You freaking nutshell..." Donnie muttered, shaking his head. "Don't ever do this to us again, you hear? Never!"

"I promise I won't, Donnie. You have my word." He chuckled. As Donnie let him go, Leo's eyes fell on the woman who was standing back, watching everything curiously. He felt his heart skip a beat.

She was beautiful. He had never seen a woman so beautiful so close. Her hair was an array of unruly curls framing a lovely heart-shaped face with high cheekbones and an adorable cloud of sheer freckles dusting her nose. She had eyes like the sea, he noticed, and she didn't seem the least bit scared or baffled as she looked at him.

When she flashed him a smile, Leo felt a blush creep up his cheeks. His throat closed and he couldn't find the words to speak.

"Hi!" she chirped cheerfully. "I'm Sage. You must be Leo."

He nodded dumbly, frowning when his brothers laughed at his obvious shyness. Mikey wrapped an arm around her shoulders, grinning from ear to ear.

"Sage is my lovely wife!" He joked playfully. Leo could swear his eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.

"Oh my god, Mikey! Are you mad?!" Sage swatted him on his plastron, scowling. She turned to Leo with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, he's still high from all that playing around. I'm not his wife. I'm his best friend."

"Sage saved your brother's life, Leonardo," his father said, patting him on the shell with a smile. "She tended to his wounds and cared for him until he was fully recovered and ready to come back."

Leo looked at the woman in front of him in a completely new light. She had saved Mikey. She had taken him into her own home and she had nursed him. She accepted him for he was. Who was this woman? Leo never met someone who could do something like that so easily. Most humans were terrified or repulsed by them, and there certainly weren't many of them willing to welcome mutants into their own lives with open arms.

He took her hand and squeezed it, gazing fiercely into her breathtaking eyes. "There aren't enough words to thank you, Miss Sage," he started gratefully, "we'll be forever in your debt."

"Oh my...!" She blushed, taken aback by his intensity. "Mikey was right; you really are a gentleman!"

His brothers and his father laughed at their exchange, causing Leo's cheeks to flush again. Sage's hand was soft in his. He wanted to keep holding it because something about her touch seemed to sooth the painful scars of his soul. She had a wonderful smile too, warm and inviting… It made his belly twist delightfully.

A loud growl rumbled through the lair, startling them. As Leo snapped his head towards the entrance, he felt all color drain from his face.

"Get away from her!" Raphael snarled as his entire body trembled with a barely contained anger.

"Raph-"

"I said get away! Right now!"

The seething turtle stomped to them and ripped Sage from his holding hand, pulling her behind him defensively. He pierced Leonardo with dark eyes burning with hurt and rage.

"If you evah touch Sage again, I'll rip off yer hands," he hissed dangerously. Sage rolled her eyes at the ridiculous display of masculinity.

"Let's all kick down a notch, shall we?" she joked, trying to alleviate the tension. Placing a soothing hand on his left side, she drew Raph's attention to her, "calm down, alright? Your brother was just thanking me for saving Mikey."

"He ain't gotta touch you fer dat!" he spat distastefully, still shaking.

"Raphael..." she called him, her hand sliding higher to nestle in the tender skin between his plastron and his carapace. Raphael's eyes quivered, softening faintly, dropping most of their anger. "Just breathe..."

After he sucked in a large gulf of air through his nostrils, Sage smiled. "That's better, right?"

"Whatever." He clicked his tongue in annoyance, turning his head away from her, but she could see the sides of his lips wanting to curl.

The younger turtles sniggered at their hot-headed brother's submission and Leo watched in shock. Since when did Raph step down from a rage attack that easily?

"Are ya gonna stay?" Raph asked sourly.

Leo frowned but he knew he deserved such bitterness. He nodded curtly. "Yeah... of course, Raph..."

"What makes ya t'ink we're gonna just let ya stay after everythin'?"

"That's enough, Raphael." Master Splinter flashed his son a look that clearly meant "stop". "Your brother has apologized and we do not hold grudges against our own blood. This is still Leonardo's home."

"Ov course," he sneered, "all hail the return ov de prodigal son! Let us bow down t' our pathetic excuse ova leader. It ain't like he deserted us anyway-"

"RAPHAEL!" his father howled, but Raphael ignored him and stormed off into the dojo where he locked himself inside. Splinter heaved a long tiresome sigh as he sat down on an armchair, pinching the bridge of his snout. Sage crouched down beside him and took his hand, squeezing it reassuringly.

"Do you want me to talk to him?" she offered.

"No, my dear, that's alright," he said, shaking his head softly. "I think he simply needs time to process everything. Let us allow him to deal with his anger at his own pace..."

* * *

Later that night, Sage laid awake in bed. She had been staring at the celling for at least an hour but she couldn't sleep.

She was worried about Raphael. He hadn't even come out from the dojo for dinner, and he was always starving. They could hear him grunting and growling inside that room as he vented out his anger on the practice dummies. Only when everyone had retired for the night, did Sage hear the door slide open and his heavy footsteps padding their way into the bathroom, quickly followed by the sound of the water running.

Brothers were not supposed to fight like that, no matter how wrong Leonardo had done, but Sage understood why Raphael was so mad. Even though he had everyone convinced it was because of the nasty fight that made Leo flee with shame, the real truth was he was deeply hurt because his brother couldn't find it in his heart to believe in him to forgive him. Leo thought Raph wouldn't be able to help him deal with his inner demons and he would hate him. He had simply assumed his brothers wouldn't want to be around him anymore and that's what angered Raphael so much.

Sage empathized with him on a certain level, since she was going through a similar situation with Rowan, but she still didn't think brothers should fight like that. It was just like Splinter said: people weren't meant to hold grudges against their own blood.

The shower turned off and she heard him grumbling to himself while getting ready to sleep. She sighed.

 _Well_ , she thought _, might as well go check on him._ It wasn't like she was going to fall asleep anyway. So Sage tiptoed out of the room and down the stairs, her eyes falling over Raphael's dark silhouette sprawled on the couch. He was laying on his back and he hadn't even bothered with the covers. He had an arm over his eyes and his jaw was so tense she could see the protruding vein on his neck. He sighed tiredly.

"What're ya doin' outta bed, Sage?" Raph asked without even so much as a look at her before she even had the chance to make her presence noted. Of course he would know she was there. She scowled.

 _Bloody ninjas._

"I'm worried about you," she answered honestly.

"Ya ain't got nothin' t' worry about, just go back t' sleep."

She stepped closer to the couch. "I wasn't asleep anyway..."

"If ya keep havin' trouble sleepin' I'm gonna ask Donnie t' start givin' ya meds," he grunted threateningly but she knew the threat was empty.

"No you won't," she chuckled. "Come on, talk to me. You'll feel better afterwards, I guarantee it."

Raph shifted onto his side, turning his back to her. "Don't wanna talk 'bout it. Quit bein' stubborn and go back t' bed," he said in a huff.

Sage rolled her eyes. He was a twenty-seven year old turtle with the size of a professional wrestler and he was sulking like a little kid. How typical. It seemed males were also pretty much the same in every species. Well lucky for him, Sage knew exactly how to pull him out of his tantrum.

Walking until she was right next to the couch, she leaned down, hovering above him. "In that case, come to bed with me," she purred in a low whisper.

He jolted up so fast, he ended up hitting her in the chin. Sage whimpered, losing her balance with the abrupt impact and toppling back. As he tried to stop her fall, he went down with her.

"Fuck, Sage! I'm so sorry! You okay?!" Raph panicked, grabbing her face to inspect the damage. He blinked perplexed when he realized she was laughing so hard she had tears in her eyes. "Oh shit, did ya bump yer head too hard?"

Sage laughed harder, bringing a hand to her mouth to stifle her laughter. Any louder and she would've woken up the entire lair. After calming down, she peered up at him with eyes dancing with mirth.

"I guess it served me right!" She giggled.

He chuckled, shaking his head. "Sheesh, yer terrible, Sage."

"At least I made you smile!"

"Yeah, dat ya did..." His dark eyes softened as he brushed a few curls from her face, cupping her cheek. "Y'know... you really shouldn't joke 'bout stuff like dat..."

"Who said I was joking?" Sage grabbed the ends of his crimson mask dangling from each side of his head. She twirled the fabric in her hands, tugging him down closer to her face wishing she could get lost in his burning stare. "Would you like to come to bed with me, Raphael?"

Sage felt his breath hitch and the hand on her cheek moved lower into the crook of her neck. His cool fingers sent shivers down her spine. When Raphael pressed his body against hers, she swallowed a moan. She could feel every hard muscle, every sharp edge molding to her. He was shaking as his plastron brushed against the thin fabric of her pajama top.

"You're shaking..." she whispered, slightly out of breath. His cheeks were rouge, she noticed.

"I-I dunno what t' do..." He told her just as breathily.

"You don't have to anything..." She frowned.

Raphael's other hand slithered down her waist finding its way to her lower back, pressing her harder against him. She gasped, arcing her back, her knees on each side of his shell quivering.

"I want to," he growled huskily.

He started leaning in to her, his dark sultry eyes never leaving hers. Sage whimpered softly. She wanted him... she wanted all of him with a primal and almost desperate need. It had been too long since she felt the warmth of a man. She couldn't remember the last time she even felt it, and she longed to be touched by him, this Raphael who captivated her so much.

Sage fluttered her eyes closed in anticipation, but he moved to her neck, hovering his lips mere inches away from her skin. Her heart was thumping furiously in her chest and she was briefly worried she might pass out from the lack of oxygen. His teeth gazed the spot where her shoulder connected to the neck and she threw her head back, moaning.

Then the light in one of the lower level rooms turned on and they heard footsteps. Raphael pulled away from her in a rush just as Leo stepped into the living room. The blue masked turtle blinked, staring at the woman still laying on the floor and then at his brother kneeling in the middle of her legs, whose face was a few shades darker than normal. He scowled, feeling slightly unnerved by the sight.

"I apologize if I interrupted something," Leo started coldly, "I'm just going to get a glass of water."

Before Raph could tell him exactly where he could shove his glass of water, Sage sat up and placed a hand over his chest, stopping him. She turned to Leo with a small smile.

"Don't worry, Leo, you didn't interrupt anything," she said politely. Leo nodded curtly and resumed his way to the kitchen, still mildly glaring at his brother.

Sage shook her head at the two, looking back at the turtle who made her heart race, pleading, "will you sleep with me tonight? I don't want to be alone, please..."

Raph nodded stiffly. He allowed her to help him to his feet and let her pull him to his bedroom silently. After she settled under the covers, he joined her. His arm went around her waist. He slid closer to her, nestling her small back against his plastron, nuzzling her curls.

Sage sighed with content and closed her eyes, slipping into the first peaceful sleep she had since her attack while listening the sound of his shallow breathing.


	10. Chapter 10 - Demons

**10\. Demons**

 _"It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles._

 _Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken away from you,_

 _Not by angels or by demons, heaven or hell."_

 _\- Budha_

The three large men were out of place as they stood inside the small T2 apartment in Madison Street. One was going through the computer, expertly hacking through security passwords and accessing to all the information he desired. Meanwhile, the other two were rummaging through every cabinet and every drawer they set eyes on.

"Have you found anything yet, Ingvar?" the fair-haired brother asked from the bedroom.

"Not really... She seems pretty ordinary," Ingvar started, typing away on the keyboard. "Although I gotta say, from these pictures and the files on her hard drive, she is one hell of a woman. She's beautiful, incredibly smart and she has great taste in music."

"You're supposed to be looking for leads on her connection to the scroll, not getting acquainted," he snarled as he joined the other two in the living room.

"Geez, Snorri, how about pulling out that stick you have shoved up your ass?" Geir said playfully, plopping down on the couch next to his twin brother and propping his feet on the coffee table. "There's nothing wrong in Ingvar showing interest in the girl. For all we know she may not even be linked to it."

"It's likely, Geir! Father sensed the scroll in this house."

Geir rolled his pale blue eyes. "If he can sense it then how come we have to search for it, huh?"

"Father says he can't anymore. There's some kind of energy blocking his telepathy," Ingvar explained. "Oh this is interesting..."

"What?"

He turned the computer screen to his brothers. Their eyes widened at the picture. The woman's lovely face was already familiar but what baffled them was the green creature sitting next to her and her son, grinning and hugging the both of them.

"Is that what I think it is?" Geir asked bewildered.

"If what you're thinking is that she's sitting with a giant humanoid turtle then you're thinking what I'm thinking," his twin muttered.

"But is what we're thinking correct?"

"I don't know but me thinks we should find out if what we're thinking is true or not."

"Shut up! You two are giving me a fucking headache!" Snorri snapped, annoyed by his younger brothers' childishness. "Ingvar, grab that computer and let's go back. I'm sure a certain female ninja might provide us with some enlightenment."

* * *

Leonardo rubbed his aching temples, scowling at the ruckus in the lair. There was so much noise he couldn't even listen to his own thoughts. He glanced towards the dojo over his shoulder and glared at the couple yelling at each other.

"I did it just like you told me to!"

"No y'didn't! I said kick, duck and punch, not the other way around!"

"I still hit you, isn't that good enough?!"

"No 'cause yer supposed t' be doin' what I'm tellin' ya!"

He tried to tune them out for the hundredth time since he sat down for his meditation practice, but there was just no way to ignore Raph's voice. Groaning, he rolled up his mat and joined Mikey in the kitchen. The younger brother was hunched over a bowl of cereal while reading one of his comics.

Leo wondered how he could read with all that noise. Mikey glanced up as he came in.

"Having trouble meditating, bro?" he asked knowingly.

"Yeah," he grunted, pouring himself some of the green tea he had prepared that morning. "Are they always like this?"

"Most of the time they actually get along fine... Well, at least now they do," Mikey started casually. "At first Raph wouldn't even talk to her, but I guess they sorted it out. You know him though, he's always looking for an excuse to lose his temper and, to be fair, Sage can be a little infuriating sometimes... I really don't think he should be teaching her to fight, it's gonna come back to bite him in his tail."

Leo considered his younger brother's words in silence as he took a seat in front of him, sipping his tea.

In the last few days he was home, he had gathered enough to realize all of his family had grown very much attached to the young veterinarian. Mikey seemed to be the closest to her, seeing as she was always hanging around him and she was also very comfortable with showing affection towards him, which Mikey seemed to be as well. Donatello was surprisingly at ease around her too and the two of them would frequently be found in his lab discussing scientific knowledge or working together to decipher the strange Norse scroll, something Leo was only recently told about. Even Master Splinter glowed with joy whenever Sage would talk to him or join him in his yoga practice.

As for Raphael, well... it appeared as if he was bestowed with a different sort of treatment all together. They would either be at each other's throats, bickering until one stormed off, or if in the same room together they would automatically find ways to be touching each other. Leo clearly remembered the very compromising position he found them in the other night, and he would be lying if he didn't admit it had bothered him a little.

Sage was a wonderful woman. He was very much captivated by her just like Raph seemed to be, but there should be boundaries, and the last thing he would allow was for his hot-tempered brother to disrespect her, whether he saw him as leader again or not.

Leo was brought from his brooding by a flustered Sage barging into the kitchen. He hid his blush behind his cup of tea, growing extremely nervous because of her choice of attire. His eyes trailed over the form-fitting leggings clinging to her shapely legs and perky posterior, moving up her toned abdomen marred only by the now faint pink scar of her shot wound, and the short sports top showing a little too much cleavage.

 _How the hell can Raph concentrate on teaching her how to fight when she's wearing that?_

"Your brother is absolutely insufferable!" She huffed angrily. Her hair was pinned in a high ponytail but her rebels curls were slipping and some were sticking to her flushed cheeks and sweaty forehead. She was frowning but her sea green eyes were burning with playfulness.

"What, you're just figuring that out now?" Mikey chuckled and Leo noticed his blue eyes looking her up and down as well. He grabbed her hand with a smirk, pulling her into his lap, the comic book long forgotten. She squealed giggling. "You shouldn't be walking around like that, babe, you're living in a house full of male turtles!"

Sage threw her head back laughing. "I think I trust the male turtles more than the male humans, thank you very much!" she quipped back jokingly. Then she patted his cheek lovingly, making him grin wider. "I like them a lot more too!"

"You shouldn't pamper her so much, Mikey. She's terrible," Raph grunted as he joined them wiping his neck and shoulders with a towel. He pulled a cold bottle of water from the fridge and downed it greedily.

"She's my princess, of course I pamper her!" Mikey replied cheerfully, nuzzling her shoulder.

"Princess?" He scowled playfully. "She ain't no princess, she's a monster!"

"Hey, I resent that! I am far from being a monster!"

"Ya wore me out just with yer naggin', Sage!"

Sage rolled her eyes hoping off of Mikey's lap, who whined playfully. She poked Raphael in his plastron replying, "I don't nag you, Raphael, you're just sour because I managed to knock you down."

"You knocked down, Raph?" Leo stared at her astonished. Sage had a strong shape but she was very lean. She looked like she didn't weigh any more than a hundred pounds.

Raphael's face turned crimson, but he purposely ignored Leo. He turned to the vexing woman instead, growling at her smug smile. "It wasn't fair an' ya know it! You distracted me!"

"Oh now I see...!" Mikey sniggered behind his hand which got him a swat on the back of his head by his older brother. "Hey!"

"Don't hit your brother! It's not his fault if I'm a particularly distracting woman," she teased.

"I said it before an' I'll say it again - yer terrible!" He threw his hands up and left the kitchen to escape from her. "I'm gonna take a shower."

Sage chuckled, gazing longingly at his retreating form. She failed to see the frowns on the other two turtles as she opened the fridge to look for something cold to eat. Pulling out a pre-made fruit parfait with Greek yoghurt layers, she sat down in the chair next to Mikey.

"I talked to Damian this morning," she said, looking at her best friend with a smile. "He says he wishes you were there, it would be more fun."

Mikey beamed. "Really? Oh shell, I miss him so much! Can I talk to him the next time he calls? Pleaseeee!"

"Of course, Mikey."

"Who's Damian?" Leo asked curiously.

"My son."

"Oh." He blinked. "I didn't know you were married..."

"Happily divorced actually," she corrected, smiling.

"You can say happily again," Mikey grumbled through a mouthful of cereal, making her chuckle.

Leo tilted his head to the side, watching her intently. Sage briefly noticed he had very beautiful dark blue eyes. They were kind, but she could see the shadows dancing behind his superficial mask of collected self-control.

 _How interesting_ , she thought. Sage had barely interacted with the older brother of the family so she knew very little about him, except for the few things the others told her. She could tell he was reserved though, and very old-fashioned too, it was clearly obvious. But there was something else in Leo - something dark. Even if he tried to cover it up, there was a large void and a large scar tainting his soul. Sage couldn't begin to imagine what could've done something like that to him, but she was a little curious.

"I take it he was a bad husband then?" he questioned.

Sage nodded nonchalantly. "I'll spare you the boring details but let's just say he liked to chase after every tail in a skirt more than the whole concept of being married to me."

"What an idiot," Leo said disgruntled.

"So I've been said." She smiled, her eyes dancing. "Where's Donnie?"

Mikey shrugged. "In the lab I think."

"Well, then I'm going to see him," she said getting up when she was done eating, stretching her arms over her head. "It's time we talk about me getting back to my life."

Mikey frowned. She wanted to leave?

* * *

Sage and the brothers were sitting around in the living room. Master Splinter had politely declined the invitation to join their discussion, claiming he was too old to meddle between his sons' affairs and they should learn to make decisions on their own because he wouldn't be around forever.

The conversation was not going down a good direction for Sage. Mikey and Raph were being particularly difficult about her wanting to go home. She understood their concern, but she had a life and job. If she had taken care of everything, she might've considered staying longer but she didn't so she couldn't just live in the sewers for the rest of her days.

"Your apartment was wrecked, babe," Mikey pointed out.

"I can get a new one," she said, facing the orange masked turtle sitting next to her on the couch with a resolution. "Money isn't exactly a problem in my family. I'll just go online and look for a nice place with better security."

"It ain't enough," growled Raphael. "I checked yer house two days ago, there's still Foot ninja's lurkin' around. They'll end up findin' ya eventually."

"Look, this isn't up to discussion. I have a business to run and Amelia can't handle everything on her own forever. She's very good with all the managing burocracy but when it comes to dealing with people she's absolutely useless. I also have Damian to think about. He might be on summer break right now but he's still in school and he has piano lessons he shouldn't miss."

Raph shook his head stubbornly. "No matter what ya say, it's too dangerous."

"Raphael..."

"I mean it, Sage! These people don't fool around, a'ight? They can seriously hurt you and Damian!"

"I agree with Raph!"

"Bloody hell, you too Mikey?!"

"Alright, everyone calm down." Leo stood up from his chair and raised his hands in an appeasing gesture. "We should figure out something that works both ways, so Sage can go back to her life and at the same time we can keep her safe."

Raphael snorted. "Yer not de leader anymore and ya sure as hell don't get t' lay out strategies fer us."

"Someone has to lead, Raph," Leo said calmly even though Raph's sneer was starting to get under his nerves. "Otherwise this is going to become an anarchy."

Instead of snapping, Raph gave his brother the cold shoulder and turned to Donnie. "What do you think, Don?"

Donatello swallowed dryly, looking away from the angry and shocked face of his brother, Leonardo, and facing Raphael. He wasn't sure how to feel. He knew Raph wasn't exactly appointing him as a leader because they had decided a while back they were done with following orders even from their brother. Yet, he couldn't help but to find his action surprisingly humbling. It was very rare for Raph to ask for someone else's opinion.

"I think," he began carefully, "it's only fair for Sage to have her life back. However, it would be best if one of us stayed with you. We could take turns in guarding your place. How does that sound?"

Sage nodded slowly, furrowing a brow. "Sounds fine. I love all of you so I have no objection to you staying with me," she said softly.

"Yeah, that's a good plan, Donnie." Mikey smiled flooding with relief as he pulled Sage to his chest, where she nestled her head. He glanced back his older brother, "Raph?"

"Sure, I can work wit' dat." He shrugged.

Leo abstained from adding anything else. He clearly understood his opinion wasn't wanted. He hung his head down clenching his hands and darted to his room, slamming the door.

* * *

Later, Leo was about to turn in for the night when there was knock on his door and he was surprised to see Sage walk into his room. She glanced around, admiring the soft beige walls decorated with Asian art and the large shelf full of books. There was vinyl record player on one corner, several vinyl cases neatly stacked next to it.

"I like your room," she said honestly.

Leo smiled politely. "Thank you."

Sage casually walked up to the shelf. She ran her fingers over the book covers, recognizing most of the titles. Some of them made her smile knowingly, and Leo shuffled his feet nervously as he watched her.

Aside from April once or twice, he never had a woman in his bedroom before. It was frankly nerve wracking.

"I've read pretty much all of these," she told him, losing interest in the books and meeting his eyes. "I figured you would be the type who liked romance novels with lots of samurais and knights and damsels in distress."

"How so?" he asked, feeling a blush creep up his neck.

"Let's just say I have a bit of sixth sense." Sage grinned when he chuckled.

"Did you want to talk to me about something?"

"Actually I just came to see if you were alright." Her smile lost some of its playfulness as she sobered up. "I don't like the way Raphael treats you... I think he's being an idiot."

Leo sighed, running a hand through his bald head. "It's to be expected I think... or at least I was expecting it... I knew he wouldn't be as willing to forgive me as my other brothers..."

His voice dropped into a low whisper, "I deserve everything he tells me..."

A hand touched his arm softly. He lifted his face only to realize Sage had moved closer and she was now in front of him, mere inches away. He could sense her warmth and smell her perfume. Lemons; she had been using his shampoo. Leo gulped.

"I can't understand what you felt when you hurt your brothers that day... but I do know you didn't do it intentionally. You shouldn't be so hard on yourself, Leo, you don't deserve it," she said kindly.

"Did they tell you?" he asked breathily.

"Raphael did," she answered nodding. "I know it may seem like he's angry at you for losing control but he isn't. He's hurt because you left... He feels betrayed because if you had stayed and talked to him about it he might've been able to help you... but you decided to isolate yourself from him. You ran away from the people who love you and will always accept you no matter. That was wrong, Leo, you shouldn't have done that."

Leo remained silent, releasing a breath he didn't know was holding. Her words were stirring up all the pain and self-loathing he had been holding on to. She could read everything through him with those eyes and he never felt so naked and so vulnerable. He wanted to let it all go and just cry until he had no more voice and no more tears, but he couldn't do that. He promised himself he wouldn't.

His breath hitched when Sage suddenly moved her arms around him in a gentle embrace. She stood on the tips of her toes, burying her face on the crook of his neck, her slow and warm breathing making his skin tingle. Hesitantly, Leo wrapped his arms around her frame as well. He fisted her black blouse, holding on to her as if his sanity depended on it.

"I don't know what to do...!" he murmured hopelessly. "They don't need me anymore, what am I supposed to do with myself now?"

"You move on. Work on understanding what is causing you so much anger and hate, work on fighting your demons." She pulled back slightly to give him a gentle smile despite the unshed tears swimming behind her eyes. "I don't know what happened to make you so deeply scarred, Leo, but you can't go back to who you were. The only thing you can do is to accept what has changed within you. Find something else that makes you happy. Get a new dream... I don't know! Find something you love and reach for it, don't let anything hold you back."

Leo awed at her. His heart raced in his chest, thumping loudly as a sudden warm and a foreign feeling began to creep inside of it, overwhelming him. He brushed her cheek gingerly, gliding his cool digits over the softness of her porcelain skin, and she smiled, disarming him of his every defense with that sweet smile.

"Better?" She asked, still smiling. Leo nodded dumbly, making her chuckle. He shook his head and cleared his throat.

"Thank you, Sage... for everything..." he whispered softly.

"No need to thank me, all I did was be honest with you," she said, waving off his gratitude and drawing back from him. _You did so much more than that_ , he thought already missing her warmth. "I'll let you rest now. Goodnight, Leo."

After she left and he was already comfortably settled in bed staring at the chandelier hanging from the ceiling, Leo felt his chest ten thousand times lighter than it had been in a long time. As he slowly slipped into a sleep full of dreams about a certain woman with eyes like the ocean, in the back of his mind he briefly realized he had just fallen in love.


	11. Chapter 11 - Confessions

**11\. Confessions**

 _"But the second she opened her eyes and looked at me, I knew. She was either going to be the death of me... or se was going to be the one_

 _who finally brought me back to life."_

 _\- Colleen Hoover_

By the time Damian returned from Mexico, Sage had already rented a new apartment situated in a very low-profile part of Manhattan. It was smaller than her last one but she figured it would be best to avoid big luxuries for the time being. The last thing she wanted was to get attacked again.

After gifting her with a very detailed, probably also exaggerated, report from his fantastic holidays with his father during dinner, her son was now passed out from exhaustion on the couch while watching cartoons on the television. Sage watched him snoring fondly from behind the kitchen counter.

She was enjoying her third glass of wine when she heard a faint rapping on the window. She rushed to open it and let Raphael inside. It was chilly for a summer night.

"Hey," he greeted gruffly.

"Hi, Raphael." She smiled. "Have you had dinner yet?"

He shook his head. Sage chuckled and indicated him to take a seat at the counter. A few minutes later, she slid a heated plate of spaghetti and meatballs in front of him watching amused as he wolfed it down hungrily. Raphael really was an eating-machine.

Once he was done, she took the plate to the sink and washed it.

"Want me t' put Damian t' bed?" His offer made something in her chest warm. Sage accepted with a smile.

When he returned to the kitchen, she was leaning against the counter swaying her glass of wine while staring at it intently. Her stomach was twisted into a nervous knot and she was feeling very silly.

 _Why do I feel so anxious? I've been alone with him more than once!_

Sage cleared her throat uncomfortably. "Do you want something to drink? I have that beer you and Mikey like..."

"Sure." She gave him the bottle without meeting his face. Raph chuckled, the low sound reverberated in her belly pleasantly. "Don't tell me yer nervous, Sage. I ain't gonna bite y'know."

"Funny," she said, chortling a laugh. "Did you know turtles are actually supposed to bite? Especially after you've just fed them meat."

"Hmpf," he grunted, smirking. "You only been studyin' turtles behaviorism or ya studied their anatomy as well?"

Sage blushed furiously at the suggestive innuendo. That stupid smirk on his face was starting to annoy her, but she also found it very sexy. Raphael was being extra smug tonight. She wondered if it was because she was feeling so nervous and he could see right through her.

"Well I am a veterinarian," she pointed out anxiously.

"Holy shell, you really did!" Raphael howled with laughter.

She shot him a glare. "And you say I'm terrible..."

Huffing, Sage walked past him and into the living room. Raph followed after her, grabbing her elbow and twirling her to him. His dark eyes were dancing with mirth and she melted inside.

"Don't be mad, Sage, I'm sorry. I t'ink it's kinda cool ov' you t' want t' know more about us."

"I can't help it. I've always been too curious for my own good," she admitted. "My mom kept telling me a lady should learn to be reserved, but my dad would go behind her back and teach me how to question everything."

Raphael chuckled, releasing her elbow so he could tuck back some of her curls. "Bein' a lady is ovah rated. Bein' cheeky is more fun."

"You mean you think I have no shame." She shook her head, smiling.

"I like dat you got no shame," he said huskily. His voice made her shudder.

"Is that so?" Sage arched her eyebrow suggestively, tugging on the ends of his mask. She really liked that mask, and from the amusement on his face he was thinking the same.

Standing on her toes, she wrapped more of the fabric around her knuckles closing the space between the two of them. "I don't think you realize just how truly shameless I can be, Raphael."

He made a guttural sound in the back of his throat, his eyes darkening with a different kind of hunger.

"Yer playin wit' fire, Sage," he growled.

"Maybe I want to get burned," she purred enticingly.

"Not by me ya don't." Despite his words, Raph grabbed her by the waist and pulled her even closer.

She tugged forcefully on the straps, tilting his head back. She hovered her lips over the pulsing vein on his neck, and the heated groan he made gave her a lot of pleasure.

"You have no idea what I want, Raphael..." His hands gripped her harder and his breathing quickened. Sage smirked, extremely pleased to have him at her mercy. But it was too early to shout victory.

Suddenly, Raph had her pinned against a wall with her wrists beside her head. She gasped, surprised by the unexpected change of events. He grinned down at her widened eyes and flushed cheeks.

"I t'ink I might have a pretty good guess," Raphael teased.

He didn't move. He just stayed glued to her and, just like the last time, she could feel every clenching muscle on his body as he gazed down at her with a searing passion. Sage was burning. It was even worse than if he was touching her. Just the way his sultry eyes devoured her made her quiver and pant.

When he finally moved, his fingers brushed up and down her side. The sensation of his touch on her skin though the satin of her nightgown was almost erotic. She threw her head back moaning his name in a plea for more. Raphael dropped his head to her shoulder, shuddering.

"Shit Sage, I can't stop if ya sound like dat!" He groaned against her skin.

She buried her nails in his neck, panting. "I don't want you to stop. You haven't even kissed me yet!"

Raphael chuckled faintly. "I never kissed anyone before..." he confessed.

"What?" Sage froze. She tried to pull him back but he resisted, hiding his crimson face in her curls. "But I thought... I mean I just assumed you... I never considered that... I-"

"I've been wit' women," he said, cutting off her rambling. "From different species, y'know, like mutants an' stuff... I know Mikey told ya some ov' our outer-space and interdimensional adventures... but I never wanted t' kiss dem..."

Sage fell silent, trying to process what he just told her. When she did, her heart clenched. Raphael had never been loved enough to discover the sheer joy of sharing a simple kiss. He had never enjoyed real intimacy or felt what was like to be touched with a heart-warming kindness.

She was suddenly overwhelmed with the urge to cry.

Turning her head to the side she kissed his cheek softly, lingering. Once he relaxed, he allowed her to bring his face up so she could look at him. He was so beautiful. She cared not for any differences. To her, Raphael was absolutely breathtaking. From the scars on his cheek and his perfectly square jaw, to his smoldering carob brown eyes framed by his crimson mask - he was perfect just as he was.

Sage stroked his pink cheek fondly, loving how he leaned into her hand craving for affection.

"What about me? Do you want to kiss me?" she asked softly.

Raph placed his hand over hers. "More dan anythin'..." he breathed. "I can't stop t'inkin' about it evah since I saw you dat night on the balcony..."

She smiled. She was the same. "Close your eyes."

When he did, Sage placed a chaste kiss on his forehead. She felt his disappointment and she bit back a smirk as she placed another kiss above one of his eye ridges and next on the other. Then she kissed his temples and each of his eyelids. Raphael quivered under her touch overwhelmed by emotion.

Sage kissed his cheeks and gave a little noisy peck on the nose of his beak that made him chuckle. She trailed her lips teasingly close to the corners of his mouth but she moved for his jaw instead, bestowing it with soft butterfly kisses all the way down to his neck. Finally, she hovered over his lips, letting him feel her breath and squirm with anticipation before she slowly pressed them with her own.

Raphael stopped breathing, and she realized she did too. She moved her lips gently, trying to keep herself under control. He copied her anxiously, making her smile into the kiss. When she drew back, his eyes were deliciously dazed. But Raphael was greedy, he wanted more.

He tangled a hand in her hair bringing her lips back to him. Before he reached them however, they were interrupted by the sound of rustling in Damian's bedroom.

"Mommy?" he called sleepily. "Mommy, please come sleep with me."

"I'm coming, sweetheart," she replied automatically. Peering up at the red masked turtle, she half expected him to be mad but he was smiling down at her in a way that made her heart stop. "I'm sorry... he needs me..."

"You got nothin' t' apologize fer. Go." Raphael kissed her forehead and gave her a little shove towards Damian's room. "G'night, Sage..."

"Sweet dreams, Raphael." She looked back at him one last time before disappearing into the room and sneaking inside the covers, cradling her son. Her smile was just as happy as the one from the turtle who was getting ready to sleep on the couch.

* * *

Back at the lair, Donnie was hunched over the scroll yet again. He briefly wished Sage was there because she could provide more insight when it came to Norse culture, but at the same time he knew it wouldn't have changed anything. They both had spent hours around it and they still hadn't even unlocked the cypher protecting what was inside the golden case. They tried countless combinations using common dates of ancient festivals and Nordic deities, but still nothing.

Donnie sighed, pinching the bridge of his beak. _Okay, that's enough_ , he thought tiredly. He needed to get himself a cup of coffee and relax for a while otherwise his head might actually explode this time.

As he stepped into the kitchen, he found Leo standing against the counter, staring off into the void. He was holding a cup of tea but it appeared as it had grown cold already, which made Donnie wonder exactly for how long had he been standing in there.

"Whatcha thinking about, Leo?" Donnie asked curiously.

Leonardo jerked awake from his daze, shaking his head. He looked back at his younger brother with a half-smile.

"Nothing special really," he said, "just enjoying how much quieter the lair seems to be."

Donnie chuckled. "Oh come on, they weren't that bad!"

"I didn't say they were," he corrected, watching Donnie walk around the kitchen to make some coffee with an eye ridge furrowing. "Should you be having coffee at this time of the night?"

"It's fine." Donnie shrugged. "I'm not planning on getting much sleep tonight anyway. I'm covering the late night shift on the tech-support phone line and I'm not giving up on the scroll yet. I just need a break to get some caffeine pumped into my bloodstream first."

"That thing's really giving you a headache, isn't it?" Leo looked at his brother with compassion when he groaned.

"Don't even get me started. Do you have any idea how ancient that thing is? It has a type of security setup like I've never seen before. The cryptogram lock is impossible to open without the correct cypher combination because it has a self-destruct system automatically triggered if we force it," he explained as he sipped his hot coffee. "Even Sage doesn't know what to do. She says she never even knew it was possible to create something like this in ancient Scandinavia."

They fell silent for a moment while Donnie enjoyed his beloved beverage and Leo resumed his staring off.

Leo was different, Donnie noticed. He always acted older than his age but now he looked older as well. There were two new scars on his plastron and a few other scratches on his back near the missing piece of his carapace, which had been ripped off during their last fight with Shredder. He was beginning to show signs of aging lines on his forehead and his steel blue eyes were hardened, clouded by the shadows dancing inside of them.

"You think she'll be safe?" Leo asked, breaking the silence.

"I don't know... I sure hope so," he answered honestly.

"We need to protect her, Donnie." Leo closed his eyes, gripping the mug harder.

"We will." Donnie pierced his brother with an icy cold glare. "Do you doubt our strength to do so?"

Leo grimaced. "I did not say-"

"Sage is as special to us as she is to you, Leo. Perhaps even more so," he said coldly, cutting him off. "She is the first person who doesn't flinch or screams at the first sight of us. She waltzed into our lives completely out of the blue and she sees us and accepts us whole-heartedly for we are. She brings the maturity out of Mikey and she can control Raph's temper in a way like I've never imagined possible. Even master Splinter loves her like a daughter."

Donnie tilted his chin up defiantly. "We've known her for longer than you have so don't even compare the meaning she has for you to what she means to us."

"I wasn't trying to belittle what she is to you, Donnie!" Leo hissed. "But she is important to me too and I care very deeply for her!"

"Yeah I can see how deeply you care for Sage, Leo, everyone can!" He growled in a hush tone, trying to control his bubbling anger. His brother's blushing face only stirred his temper further. "You better keep those hands to yourself, or so help me God I'll..."

Leaving the rest of the threat hover unspoken, Donnie clenched his jaw. He knew Leo wouldn't be settled so easily.

"You'll what? Rip them off, like Raph said?" Leo scoffed. "Just because you're not man enough to make a move on her it doesn't mean I should follow your example and not act on my feelings!"

"Make a move on her?" Donnie repeated, laughing dryly. "Sage is like my sister! I don't love her like that, you idiot!"

"In that case I would like you to keep your opinions to yourself!" Leo lowered his voice. He didn't want to attract his father and younger brother's attention, but he was shaking and he was growing annoyed by his brother's sermon. "Frankly, Donnie, I expected this from Mikey, who is clearly smitten by her, but certainly not you. Sage has a right to choose whoever she wishes to and we have a right to win her affections."

Donnie shook his head fighting the urge to laugh at his brother's blindness. It was as clear as day Sage had already made her choice. She had made it a long time ago when she first saw Raph. Mikey was just in complete denial and apparently Leo was being clouded by his own selfish desires.

 _Am I the only sane turtle in this lair?_ he thought sourly.

"You know what, Leo? Do whatever you like, I honestly don't give a shell about it, but if you hurt Sage or anyone else I'm not going to sit back and watch." Donnie dropped his mug into the sink and stood directly in front of his brother, staring deep into his eyes with an unfaltering resolve. "You're not our leader anymore, Leo. You're just our brother, and I'm never going to accept whatever you decide just for the sake of the team again."

Leaving him to process those words, Donnie walked away from the kitchen and went back to his lab.

He loved Leo, that would never change, but he had enough of putting up with his stupid choices. They had spent their lives being pushed over by Leo; he was either pestering them to train or to start growing up. He lectured them about always being there to listen to their problems, but when it was him who needed to be listened to he ran away like a coward. Now he waltzed back in and suddenly expected them all to just fall into their old place with him as the leader. Next he would be claiming rights over Sage.

Well too bad for him because that wasn't happening. If Sage wanted to be with him that was all very good but Donnie found the odds of that happening highly unlikely. He saw how Raphael and Sage looked at each other. They were drawn together. He felt bad for Mikey and Leo, more for the first than the last, but at the same time he couldn't help being truly happy for Raph. Who was he too condemn his brother for falling in love and have that love reciprocated?

More than any of them, Raphael had been struggling with a terrifying loneliness since he was a teenager. Mikey was always very open about what he thought of girls and he would voice his opinions just as easily, but not Raph. He was different. He didn't just ogle at women, he craved deeply for affection and, because he was what he was, he hated himself for not being able to stop wanting to be loved.

In a way Donnie could empathize with him. When he liked April he desperately longed for any minute of her attention, and when she married Casey he was heartbroken. He blamed his own ingenuity for actually hoping her feelings might be mutual when he was so biologically different than her. Donnie was going down a very dark spiral and it was Raph who pulled him back. He knocked the sense back into him. Quite literally. He punched him in the face, hard too. Then he helped him off the floor and told him April wasn't the one for him and there was still out there someone who would want everything he had to give without even a second thought.

A memory of Sage's warm sea green eyes and her soft inviting touch flashed through his mind and he smiled. Of course he loved her. He loved her with all his heart, how could he not? But not like his brothers did. For Donnie, Sage was his sister and, more than that, she was a bright ray of hope, shinning to remind him of that someone his brother told him about. That someone who was waiting for him.

Shaking his head still smiling, Donnie grabbed his headphones and his micro and reported for work.

He was now on a much better mood than half an hour ago.


	12. Chapter 12 - Drinking

**Hi, guys! Another chapter is up - finally! Hope you enjoy it :D**

* * *

 **Ninja Turtles: Million Reasons**

 **12\. Drinking**

 _"Alcohol consumption results in disinhibition. It doesn't create bigots - it merely_

 _unleashes them."_

 _\- Taiki Matsuura_

Raph was crouching down on top of a building, watching over Sage and Damian. They were spending the afternoon at the park near their new place, playing Frisbee with their new friend, a two year old German shepherd. Mikey told him she had brought home a stray dog who ended up on the medical table at her clinic and she was going to take care of him while they searched for a new owner, but he hadn't seen the dog until today. His shift at her apartment was only tonight. He was so excited about it he hadn't even been able to wait until night fell.

After their first kiss, Raph couldn't stop thinking about how much he wanted to kiss her again. She was so soft and gentle with him... In the back of his mind, he wanted to cry because no one had ever treated him so kindly. Sage looked at him like he was beautiful. Him! A green, giant, mutated turtle. And she had showered his face with loving kisses.

Sage really was something else.

It would be a lie, however, if he didn't admit he was more than a little frightened by everything. What did he have to give to a woman like Sage? They couldn't go out on dates like normal people. He couldn't play in the park with her and Damian. He couldn't walk her to work or home. Hell, he couldn't even walk down the street with her while holding hands. She would be better off with someone from her own world, someone who could give her what he couldn't. But knowing that didn't make him want to kill every man who got near her any less.

Raph heard a swift swish and Mikey quickly dropped beside him. He grinned softly once he spotted Sage and Damian rolling on the grass with the German shepherd barking and jumping around them excitedly.

"Everything calm around here?" Mikey asked.

"Yeah, nothin' t' worry about," he answered, smiling.

Mikey chuckled softly as he watched Sage tickling her son with a dazzling smile and laughing loudly. If he focused hard enough, he could almost hear the beautiful sound of her voice and he could almost see the mirth dancing in those soul-reading eyes.

"She's so cute," Mikey breathed. The first stab of guilt pierced Raph in his chest like a sharp knife, twisting painfully.

The look of pure adoration in his brother's baby blue eyes hit him like a cold shower, bringing him back from cloud nine and into reality. What was he doing? Mikey had a crush on Sage way before Raph even saw her and he didn't deserve to have such a chance of happiness taken away from him. He was a selfish bastard. He had no right to feel as overjoyed as he did.

"Ya really like 'er, huh?" His voice came out lower than he expected.

"Yeah, I do," Mikey admitted without any ounce of shyness. "I think I'm falling in love with her, y'know... it's really hard not to when she's so amazing... I don't think she sees me that way but I would like to at least try to make her realize how much I care for her..."

The wound bled a little more, the knife digging deeper. Raph lowered his head, avoiding his baby brother's innocent eyes.

 _I'm such a fuckin' idiot!_ He cursed bitterly. Mikey was falling in love with this woman and he was going around behind his back sharing kisses and heated moments with her. What kind of brother did that make him?

Not a particularly good one, that's for sure. This wasn't fair to Mikey, he couldn't do this to him.

Mikey was the soft-hearted one of the family. He was the baby all of them wanted to protect and keep safe no matter what, and they all wanted for him to be happy. Even though Raph enjoyed teasing him and pushing on his buttons, he never did so with the intention to hurt. Mikey always knew how to make him smile when he was angry, and he would always burst through his room when he wanted to be away from everything, and he was oddly good at making him talk about what he was feeling whether he intended to or not.

Raph clenched his hands, the nails sinking hard into his skin.

 _Dis is a mistake! I gotta fix dis!_

"Raph..." Mikey touched his shoulder, peering at him worriedly. "You okay, bro?"

Raph faked a smile as he stood up. "I'm great, Mikey! Look, you stay an' look after 'er, a'ight? I'm gonna take a break an' see Casey. See ya later, nutshell!"

Mikey stared after his brother's disappearing form with a frown.

* * *

Ingvar was sitting in the window seat, gazing up at the clear blue sky. He could hear the loud screaming and thumping coming from the training room next to his bedroom, where his brothers were sparring, but he paid no mind to it. They tried to coax him into joining him a while ago but Ingvar didn't feel like fighting. He found it surprising his twin brother did when it was such a depressing day for the both of them. They used to be in synchrony about everything, now it was less and less frequent.

Today was the anniversary of their mother's death. They were six years old when they found her with a rope around her neck. She had hanged herself in her bedroom without even leaving a suicide note or making any arrangements for their safety. If Angarr hadn't found them and taken them in as his sons they would've ended up living on the streets, feeding on scraps, stealing to survive. That was twenty-two years ago.

What a selfish woman, his brother had bitterly called her once. A part of Ingvar agreed with him but it was a small part. Unlike Geir, he had held on to the memories of their mother throughout all the years, cherishing them despite his father's persistency to make him forget. He remembered her soft dark hair, curling around her small face. It used to smell of rain and earth, and it tickled him when she tucked him into bed with a kiss on his forehead. He also remembered her eyes, pale blue like theirs, and her smile... His mother had the most beautiful smile in the world. It lit up everything around her.

Looking at the opened computer sitting on his bed, Ingvar ached. He was staring at that picture more often than he would ever admit but he couldn't help it. The woman they were after had an uncanny resemblance to his mother. If he put that picture of her next to one of his mother's the only difference between them would be Sage's eyes. Instead of pale blue, they were of a striking mix between several different shades of green. Like the sea.

His brother's and his father would kill him if they found out he already knew where she was. He had seen the address of her workplace on her laptop, but he couldn't gather the will to tell them. They were going to hurt her. If she was linked to the scroll they would do even worse than that - they would use her. Ingvar couldn't let them find her. He had no idea why but something in his chest kept telling him she needed to be protected, especially from his father's vile plans.

Resurrecting the Shredder... What in the world was Agnarr thinking? If he was aiming for worldwide domination he probably shouldn't be bringing back to life someone who aspired the same. Ingvar wished he knew what he was plotting, then maybe he could work on a plan to keep the girl away. Unfortunately his father didn't trust him, at least not like he trusted his brothers. The only reason why Agnarr even had brought him from their castle in Sweden to New York was because he was more powerful than Snorri and Geir. A lot more clever too.

Ingvar sighed, closing his eyes. Maybe if he just kept his mouth shut, and his mind shields up, he could protect Sage.

He wondered if she knew about her lineage. After digging into it a lot, he discovered quite a bit more than he ntended to and what he came across was very surprising.

Would it be bad if he went to see her?

 _Just once_ , Ingvar thought with a smile. He just wanted to see her once. Maybe talk to her a little.

 _Yeah... I can do that._

He would only have to be careful.

* * *

Her new apartment was strangely silent tonight. As she worked on some of the paperwork she brought home from the clinic, Sage was starting to miss the usual noise.

It was barely past dinner time. Damian would usually be watching his favorite cartoons by now but she had dropped him off at her parents' place for the entire week. Her mother had taken some time off from the restaurant and she practically begged her to have her grandson over. Sage knew her mother just wanted to keep her head busy so she wouldn't miss Oliver so much. She probably didn't want to spend more time alone with her husband than she already did as well. Watching her parents' marriage go down the drain was absolutely heartbreaking, but there was nothing she could do. She could only accept the reality.

Someone had called in the afternoon, asking for the German shepherd she was looking after and she had gladly offered him to the pleading family. So now there was not even his annoying barking as he hoped around the apartment to save her from the silence.

When she heard a familiar rapping on the window, Sage darted to open it. Tonight was Raphael's shift. She was so excited! She wanted to hold him in her arms and kiss him again and again and... Sage's mind froze as Leonardo stepped into her living room.

What was Leonardo doing at her place?

"Hi, Sage!" he greeted cheerfully.

"Hi..." Sage frowned. "Where's Raphael?"

"Oh uh, I don't know. I think he asked Mikey to take over his shift but Mikey has a birthday party tonight so he asked me to come instead."

Sage felt a twinge of fear in her belly. "Why did he ask Mikey to do that? Why couldn't he come?"

Leo watched a series of emotions play out in the face of the woman in front of him and he frowned. She was disappointed. And... sad? Sage was sad because his brother couldn't make it?

Jealousy hit him like a ton of bricks, but he forced himself to ignore it.

"I don't know, Sage... Would you like me to go and ask Donnie to come instead?" he asked coldly.

Her eyes widened when she realized she had hurt his pride. "Of course not, Leo! You're more than welcome to stay!"

She grabbed his hand and pulled him to the couch to seat with her. In the back of her mind she remembered there was still a lot of paperwork left to take care of, but she figured it would have to wait until tomorrow.

"We could watch a movie, what do you think?" Sage offered with a smile.

"Sure, Sage," he chuckled.

"Well, let's see what movies I have..."

Sage sorted through her small collection of classics with a scrunched forehead. Leo smiled; she was cute. A few minutes later, she showed him a DVD case and he just had to laugh at her choice - _**It All Happened One Night**_. Oh she had him all figured out, didn't she? Leo smirked at her smug face.

"I love that movie," he admitted.

"Of course you do," she chuckled. "It has you written all over it!"

"So you think I'm a hopeless romantic, is that it?" Leo asked as she moved around to get the movie started. Then she plopped back next to him, flashing him a toothy grin.

"Just a little. You give off a very old-fashioned vibe," she said, her grin widening when he fixed her with an arched eye ridge. "Oh don't worry, I think it's kind of cute actually."

Leo felt a blush creep up his neck and take over his cheeks. When she laughed at his obvious fluster, he rolled his eyes.

"I'm not that old-fashioned, though."

"Hmmm, is that so?" Her eyes danced as she gave him a mocking look.

Leo shrugged, gazing at her fondly. "If I was too much of a retrograde I wouldn't really like the idea of female workers and then I would have to deal with two very career-oriented women wanting to kick my shell off."

"That is a very good point!" She chuckled. The movie was already starting, yet none of them seemed to pay much attention.

Sage tilted her head to the side, watching him intensely. Something was different about Leo, she noticed. He didn't seem so troubled anymore. It was almost as if a small light had turned on inside of him.

"What? Do I have something on my face?" Leo asked, rubbing his cheeks self-consciously. She shook her head, reassuring him.

Half an hour later through the movie, Sage's mind drifted off from the black and white movie, shifting back to a certain red-masked turtle. She didn't want to admit to it but she was hurt, and she was completely confused. Everything seemed to be fine during the last few days. He wasn't there when she woke up after they kissed, but he had left her a note - a very lovely note in a very Raphael kind of way. They had also talked on the phone once or twice and everything was normal, they even bickered like they always did.

 _What did I do now?_ Sage thought angrily. _Every time we take a step forward, he pulls me two steps back!_

Her head was a total chaos, but she didn't even know if she had the right to be mad at Raphael. After all, she still didn't understand what she was feeling for him. Sage never put herself through another serious relationship after her divorce because she was too scared to get hurt again. Sure, she had dated. She wasn't a saint. She was a woman with needs like every other, but she never allowed any other man into her heart. Until she met Raphael, who wasn't exactly a man.

When she saw him on that chimney, she had been curious and excited. She spent nights thinking about those burning eyes. However, when she really met him, she realized there was something more to her fascination. Attraction? Yes, there was obviously attraction. Desire? Definitely a searing and lustful desire. Fondness? Well, she was very protective of him and she hated thinking about how much he had suffered throughout his life. But the more she got to know Raphael, the more she realized there was another reason why she was drawn to him.

That reason terrified her.

"You're not really watching the movie, are you Sage?" Leo asked, snapping her back into reality.

Sage flashed him a sheepish smile. "Sorry... I love Clark Gable but I'm feeling a little off."

"It's alright, I've watched it a million times," he assured her. "What's troubling you?"

"I'm worried about Raphael..."

Leonardo scowled. "I'm sure he's fine. He's probably getting drunk with Casey."

"Getting drunk?" Sage furrowed her eyebrows, frowning. "Why?"

"Because that's what he does. He runs away from his duties and goes out with Casey to drink until they both pass out."

Sage huffed. "Well if that's the case, he could've at least had the decency to take me with him. I haven't gotten wasted since college!"

"Sage!" Leo fixed with a disapproving scowl.

"Oh relax Leo! It's perfectly alright to have a little bit of fun!"

"There's no need to get drunk to have fun."

"I didn't say there was, but it can be fun to do so," she pointed out.

When his sour face didn't improve, she decided he really needed to ease up. Sage crawled through the couch until she was nearly touching his beak. Leo jolted back a few inches, blushing. She chuckled softly smiling and fluttering her eyelashes mischievously.

"Have you ever had a drink before, Leo?" Sage asked seductively.

Leo gulped. "Once or twice when I was younger."

"Well in that case..." She moved a little closer placing a hand on his plastron, leaning into him. _Oh my_ , Sage thought amusedly, _his heart is really racing_. She smirked at his darkening cheeks, purring, "wanna try again?"

"S-Sure!" He sputtered nervously.

"Brilliant!" Finally victorious, Sage drew back and rushed to get the wine bottles she kept in the fridge.

Leo rubbed his face, realizing he had just been played like a lovesick teenager.

* * *

Raph guffawed as he swung his best friend's arm over his shoulders to hold him up. Casey was heavier than rhino when he was drunk, he noticed struggling to walk forward with more than half of his weight leaning into him.

"Yer so wasted, Case!"

"Like yer one t' talk! Hick!" Casey snapped with a hiccup. Raph snorted, swaying slightly with the weight and his own intoxicated state.

"Hey at least I'm sobah enough t' drag yer 'airy ass back home!"

"I ain't got no 'airy ass! Hick! Ask Ape!"

Raph barked a laugh as they finally reached the Jones' apartment door and he pressed the doorbell. "I ain't nevah gonna ask yer wife dat!"

The door swung open, revealing a very disgruntled April with a scruffy old robe and her flaming red hair in a mess. She rolled her eyes at the two of them, moving aside to let them in before they woke up the entire building.

"Yo babe!" Casey flashed his wife a cheeky grin.

"Don't call me babe!" April hissed angrily, swinging his other arm over her shoulders to help Raphael take him into their bedroom. "This is absolutely ridiculous! Honestly! What are you, sixteen years old?"

When Raph sniggered, she turned her head to him growling, "Like you're any better than him!"

He rolled his eyes.

Somehow they managed to shove him into the bed without getting squashed by his weight. April quickly took off his shoes before pulling the covers over him and kissing him softly on the forehead. Then she dragged Raphael back to the living room. She helped him out of the human clothes he wore to go out to the bar with Casey because he spent five minutes struggling to get out of his jacket.

When he was fully undressed, Raphael gratefully threw himself onto the couch, nuzzling the pillows. April sat down in an armchair, heaving a long tiresome sigh. She stared at the drunk turtle with a mix of fondness and annoyance.

"You guys never change, you know that?" she said, shaking her head.

Raph opened one eye, peering up at her in a very cheeky manner. "We ain't done nothin' wrong, Ape, I promise. Just gettin' a little loose."

"Casey has no problems getting loose, which is a whole problem on its own," she chuckled. "He's usually the one who invites you to hit the bar, but it was you who called him this time, weren't you?"

"Yeah..." Raph sighed, shifting so he could stare at the ceiling. A pair of sea green eyes flashed before his eyes and he groaned under his breath. _Shit_ , he cursed. He was nowhere near as drunk as he wanted.

"Did something happen?"

Raph made a face. "Don't wanna talk 'bout it."

"You never want to talk about it, Raph. Tell me something that's new," she replied, rolling her eyes.

"Sheesh, Ape! I ain't in no condition t' be dealin' wit' emotional bullshit right now ai'ght? I feel like my 'ead's gunna explo-"

"It's Sage, isn't it?" April asked cutting him off. When her question was met with silence, she smiled victoriously. "I knew it! So what's the deal with the two of you? I mean, one would have to be completely blind not to see all those sparks flying around."

Groaning loud, Raphael buried his face deeper into the pillow. Why was she making complicated questions right now? Couldn't she see he was too drunk to function properly?

 _Fuckin' shell!_

The ringing in his ears and the pounding in his head was getting worse. He groaned again.

"Raph..."

"Shit, April! Nothin's goin' on, ai'ght?" he snapped furiously.

She huffed. "I don't believe you!"

"What de fuck ya want from me? Casey ain't enough ova victim fer ya t' analyze so now ya gotta turn t' me?"

April rolled her eyes. As if his absurd attempt of an insult would throw her back. He really was drunk if he thought something like that could hurt her so easily.

"I would like to know what's going between you and Sage, that's all. So you just have to tell me, and then I'll leave you alone."

"Blackmailin' a drunk turtle? Dat's low, Ape." Raph snorted when she simply shrugged.

He sighed, rubbing his tired and aching eyes before saying, "Sage an' I kissed. Dere - ya happy now?"

April let out a very girly squeal, making him cover his ears with a strangled groan. She jumped out of her chair and plopped down on the edge of the couch, next to his side, her eyes twinkling as she leaned over him and scrutinized his fascinatingly crimson cheeks.

She had never seen Raph blush!

"How was it?! How did it even happen?! Did she kiss you or did you kiss her?! What else did you do? Raphael, you better be being careful otherwise I will have to-"

"It ain't nottin' like dat! Geez, April, what da fuck's wrong wit'cha?" he hissed, interrupting her incessant rambling before she could embarrass him further.

She chuckled at his flustered state. "Sorry, you're right. I might be exaggerating a little. But can you blame me? We're talking about the first woman who is attracted to you! This is amazing, Raph! I've always wanted you guys to experience the joy of love but now it's finally happening!"

"Love?!" Raphael repeated in a squeak, widening his eyes. "Who said anythin' 'bout love?!"

"Uhhh, well she kissed you right?" He nodded.

"And you kissed her back, didn't you? He nodded again, slower.

"Well, a kiss is a gesture of love, Raph. And you know this too because, if you didn't, you would've kissed those alien, or mutated, or whatever females you were with."

He scowled. "Casey's a fuckin' blabber mouth! I ain't tellin' 'im shit anymore if he's gunna go an' tell t' his damn wife!"

"Don't blame him, he can't help it if he can't resist my charms." Raph made a gagging noise and she swatted his arm. "I'm serious, Raph, listen to me: Sage is special, you can't screw this up with her."

"Dere ain't nothin' t' screw, Ape... I can't be wit' her..."

April's face fell. "Why not?"

"Besides de fact dat I'm a freakin' mutated turtle who's got nothin' t' give'er, Mikey's in love wit' her..." Raph groaned with frustration, covering his eyes with his arm. "I ain't gonna steal my baby bro's chance ov' love."

"Raph... it's not stealing if she is giving it to you willingly... Mikey is an adult now, I'm sure he will want you to be just as happy as you want him to..."

"Yeah whatevah..." He grunted and turned on his side, away from her. "I toldya want ya wanted t' 'ear, so now lemme sleep."

April sighed but she decided to drop the subject. She wasn't really being fair to him by taking advantage of his drunkenness. So she stood up and went back to her bedroom after telling him to go sleep in his own room so she wouldn't wake him up early in the morning before leaving for work.

 _For a mutant turtle,_ April thought as she laid in bed with her husband, _Raph sure acts a lot like a human man._

* * *

Leo gently picked up the sleeping woman from the floor and moved her into her bedroom, lying her down on her bed. She stirred softly but didn't wake up, not even when he tucked her under the covers and then sat down next to her to watch her sleep. Her cheeks were so red, he chuckled, the vivid color made the freckles on her nose stand out even more.

Her plan to get him drunk backfired her. Perhaps that was his fault. Leo should've told her he had an extraordinary metabolism for alcohol, which was why he didn't drink in the first place. No matter how much he drunk, he never got past a little tipsy. Unlike his brothers, Raphael especially. Leo had no idea how someone who drank so much still hadn't built up a higher tolerance to it.

Chuckling, he lovingly brushed a dark curl from her face. Sage sighed and smiled, shifting to her side and curling up like a little kitten, snuggling to her pillow.

"Raphael…" He heard her whisper breathily.

The longing in her voice made him shudder but, at the same time, it also made him angry. Sage had spent the entire night switching between regular conversation and joking to talking about his brother, and she did it so expertly Leo ended up going along with it begrudgingly. She had sat close to him, touching his face and touching his hands in a way that made his blood boil despite how casual her actions were, but her mind was never there. It was wherever Raph was.

Leo leaned over, hovering above her face while stroking her pink cheek.

"Why do you call him by his name and not me? Why am I Leo and not Leonardo?" he asked sadly. "My beautiful Sage…"

If she heard him he didn't now, but she nuzzled his hand. He smiled fondly.

"My Raphael… he's my Raphael…" Sage murmured lovingly.

Leo closed his eyes as her words broke his heart. He sat on the floor beside her bed leaning his head back against its edge, staring at the white ceiling with eyes filled with sadness.

What should he do? Should he give up on her for the sake of his brother? Mikey liked her too and he didn't see him backing out. Sage had told him to find something he loved and not let anything hold him back, hadn't she? He wanted to follow her words. He loved Sage, he didn't want to give up on that love. She had given him something precious – hope. Leo now believed he could learn to live with what he had done in the past and she had been the one to perform that miracle.

 _But then again… would she even want me if I actually told her what I did? She doesn't know why I'm scarred…_

 _She doesn't know I'm a monster._


	13. Chapter 13 - Heartache

Hey! Back again :D

* * *

 **13\. Heartache**

" _Perhaps this is what the stories meant when they called somebody heartsick._

 _Your heart and your stomach and your whole insides felt hollow_

 _and empty and aching."_

 _\- Juliet Marillier_

Sage took a bite off her avocado toast, staring at the blonde woman sitting in front of her as they enjoyed their lunch break at the little coffee shop in front of her clinic. Zoey, one of her best friends, was looking at her expectantly, golden eyebrows arched.

Sage scrunched her forehead, confused. "Wait, now you think I should talk to him? But just the other day you told me to give him space."

"I told you that almost a week ago, honey," Zoey pointed out, flipping her long strands over the shoulder. "Since it seems your guy is being more stubborn than I assumed, I think you should corner him and just get it over with."

"When you mean get it over with you mean..." Sage trailed off suggestively.

"I mean pin him to a wall and screw his brains off," she finished.

Sage rolled her eyes at her obnoxious, and way too loud-mouthed, friend. "I am not going to do that, Zoey! Have you lost your mind?!" she hissed.

"Since when did she have it in the first place?"

Both women turned to face their friend, who was late as usual. Sage furrowed her eyebrows, her eyes darting up and down his odd choice of attire. He was wearing army green overalls with a black t-shirt underneath and brown hiking boots. The pink scarf tied around his neck stood out like a sore-thumb but it was to be expected. Deon never took it off.

"What in Channel's name are you wearing?" Zoey asked, voicing Sage's thoughts. "Have you joined the fashion army or did you just wake up and dressed with your eyes closed?"

Deon rolled his eyes and joined them at the table. "I'll have you know that green is the new black."

"I thought orange was the new black," Sage teased.

"That was last season, love, this year's all about green," he explained, his hazel green eyes twinkling jovially as he flashed her a pearly white smile. It made his dark mocha skin stand out even more. Deon picked up the menu and scanned it nonchalantly. "So, what's the topic of today's girly chatter?"

"You're the only girly of our group, you fashion diva," Zoey grumbled between bites of her cheeseburger.

Deon graciously flipped her off, making Sage laugh good-naturedly. Bless her friends; she could always count on them to cheer her up.

"I'm glad you're here, I need your opinion. I can't count on this one's advice, everything is an excuse to shag someone for her." When Zoey stuck her tongue out, she snorted and continued, "I'm sort of seeing someone... but it's a complicated situation and he's been avoiding me since I kissed him, which was last week..."

"Wow." Deon blinked. "You're seeing someone? Well, it's been a while since the last time, hasn't it?"

Sage nodded, tucking some of her curls behind her ear timidly. "Yeah but it's different this time... he's different..."

"Oh my God, you like him!"

"Shhhhh!" Sage hissed when his voice went up a few notes. "You're making a fuss!"

"I'm sorry, love, but this is the first guy you like since your ex-husband that we're talking about! It's kind of a big deal, don't you think so, Z?" Zoey nodded vehemently. Then Deon grabbed Sage's hand, gazing into her eyes, clearly excited. "Who is he? Is he cute? How was it like kissing him?"

Sage propped her chin on her fist with a blush, staring off as she pictured Raphael in her head with a loving smile. "He's someone who helped me when I was in trouble. He's tall and big, like a wrestler y'know, and he has this "bad boy" vibe going that really turns me on, but at the same time he's very sweet and fragile... Life hasn't been very kind to him, it left him with a lot of scars.

"He has the sexiest smirk I've ever seen, and I swear it's not an exaggeration... He's beautiful in a very unique and different sort of way, and every time he touches me I feel like I'm on fire..." Sage trailed off, growing self-conscious of the stares of her friends, blushing furiously. "What?"

"You're so done for," Zoey snorted.

"I am not!"

"Yes you are, love. You're head over heels for that guy," Deon said softly. "He obviously feels the same for you. I mean, he would have to be crazy if he didn't! Even I would be infatuated by you if I didn't bat for the other team!"

Zoey rolled her eyes playfully. "Don't tell her that, she's already cocky enough. She doesn't need any more men falling at her feet."

"Oh sod off, Z! I don't have any men falling at my feet," Sage shot grumpily. "If he feels the same, then why has he been avoiding me? None of his brothers know what's going on with him..."

"Uhhh he has brothers? Can I meet them?!"

Sage swatted his arm. "Focus, Deon!"

"Right sorry." He smiled sheepishly. "Maybe he's scared, love. Didn't you say he had a lot of scars? So maybe he's scared of letting you in too deep."

"I don't think that's it..." She frowned. "Raphael isn't the type of guy who's easily scared. He does have a lot of self-confidence issues, though."

"Hum Raphael is such a sexy name... I bet he must be great in bed..." When Sage flashed him a glare, Deon grinned. "Ups! Sorry, I'm shutting up now."

Sage sighed, rubbing her temples. That conversation was starting to give her a massive headache, which was definitely not a good thing because she still had half a day's work ahead and she needed to be focused.

Deon patted her shoulder compassionately. "This is all just guessing, Sage, we can't be certain of anything. Why don't you go talk to him instead of waiting for him to come find you? You're a twenty-first century modern woman, you don't have to sit around pinning over a man. Just barge in there and force the truth out of him. We all know you are very persuasive when you put your mind up to it."

"I agree," Zoey chirped in. "I told her that."

"You told me to jump into his pants, Zoey," she pointed out with an eye-roll. "What if I can't get it out of him? Or what if he tells me something ridiculous like we have no future together, or that he's not the right person for me?"

"Well, if he does that, prove him wrong," Deon answered as a matter-of-factly.

"But how?" she asked exasperated. Deon and Zoey exchanged a look before shrugging, causing a groan to erupt from her lips. "God, this is so stupid! I have the worst feeling about this... I just know he's going to push away from me."

Zoey sighed. "Don't let him."

"It's not up to me. He's the most stubborn guy I've ever met."

"Ohh, I know what you can do!" Deon leaned forward, placing his elbows on the table. "Make him jealous. That'll definitely force some reaction from him."

Sage scowled. "I'm not stooping that low, I mean I'm not desperate for heaven's sake."

"Making a guy jealous has nothing to do with being desperate," he replied firmly. "It's about you taking measures into your own hands."

"By dragging some poor chap into this mess? No thank you."

Zoey chuckled. "You say that now, but when he starts annoying you with his stubborness I'm sure you'll change your mind."

Sage gave no answer as she finished her toast in a brooding silence.

* * *

Later that day, after three surgeries and several vaccinations, Sage finally closed down the clinic and bid goodbye to her co-workers. Having lunch with the gang made her miss Amelia. Her partner had taken a leave of absence to travel to Long Island because her mother was in the hospital after a very serious car accident.

 _I should call her..._ Sage thought as she walked down the streets of Manhattan. Maybe tomorrow she would.

The sun was setting, bathing the tall buildings and the crowded sidewalks in a beautiful orange, golden glow. It was going to be a hot summer night, she realized. The weather was warm and there was no wind. Her thick hair made sweat dripple down the nape of her neck and into the low back of her short-sleeved dress, but she was too stubborn to pin it up. Looking around, she tried to find a manhole in a fairly hidden alley so she could get to the lair inconspicuously.

While not paying attention to the way, Sage bumped into someone and staggered back. The person's hands darted immediately to her arms, steadying her. She blinked surprised, and glanced up at the polite stranger.

A blush crept up her neck. The man was gorgeous! He was taller than her by a head and a half, with long silky black hair tied into a low ponytail. The dark grey tailored suit he was wearing fit him nicely on his broad shoulders, and he looked very dashing in it. He had a square face with high cheekbones and a strong jaw. His lips were red and full, stretching into a charming smile. Oh but his eyes... Sage had never seen such pale blue in a person's eyes.

"I apologize, miss, I wasn't looking where I was going." His voice had a strange familiar accent which rumbled pleasantly in her belly.

Sage shook her head, smiling politely. "It's alright. I wasn't really paying attention either."

"It's my first time in New York but, I have to say, if it means bumping into any more beautiful women such as yourself, I think I'm going to enjoy this place very much," he said flirtatiously. Sage chuckled and waved off his attempt of flatter, making him smile bigger. "I'm Ingvar."

 _Ingvar? It's a Swedish name_ , Sage noticed thoughtfully. It certainly explained the accent.

"Nice to meet you, Ingvar," she replied politely, offering her hand out. "I'm Sage. I hope you do enjoy New York. It's lovely this time of the year, but then again I do live here so perhaps I might be a little biased."

Ingvar chuckled. He had a very nice laugh. Warm and thick - like liquor.

"With someone so wonderful living here how could it not be lovely?"

 _Oh my!_ He really was flirting with her. Sage arched an eyebrow, feeling not just flattered but also a mildly intrigued. It wasn't often she ran into men this handsome, and she was entitled to enjoy it at least a little, head over heels for a turtle or not.

"Why thank you, Ingvar. I was beginning to wonder where all the gentlemen had disappeared to," she joked airily. "I can see now they must've all ran off to Sweden."

He chuckled again, his pale blue eyes twinkling. "Very observant of you to realize I'm Swedish. Have you ever visited my country?"

"Only once but I was too young to remember," she answered easily. "My mother's side of the family was from Sweden, she was raised there until about eleven. Afterwards they moved to London, where I was born."

"What a coincidence to run into someone with Sweden blood," Ingvar said with a knowing smile that intrigued her further. Did he know something she didn't? "I hope you won't find me too straight-forward, but perhaps you would like to switch phone numbers? I would love it if you could show me around the city some time."

Sage hesitated for second, but she figured it would be fine. He seemed harmless enough. The brothers would give her an earful if they found out she was exchanging information with someone she knew from nowhere. Raphael especially, who would probably throw a raging fit. But what they didn't know couldn't hurt them.

After they bid goodbye and went their separate ways, Sage resumed her search for an alley with a manhole. It was darker by now so it was easier.

* * *

The lair was strangely quiet this evening. Michelangelo was performing at a birthday party as Cowabunga Carl and he wouldn't be back until later, and Leonardo had gone out with their master to practice meditation outside because it was going to be a very warm night. The only ones home were Donatello and Raphael. The first was working on the tech-support line while the last was practicing in the dojo.

The sound of Raph's raged breathing and his furious kicks and punches echoed across the silent walls. He had been at it for more than an hour but he was nowhere near to feeling better. He was angry. Angry at Leo for being a show off and a coward. Angry at Mikey for being in love with Sage. Angry at his father for making him meditate when it was the last thing he wanted. Angry at April for being nosy. Angry at Sage for not calling after a week without news from him. And especially angry at himself because he was a complete idiot.

Hell, the only one he wasn't angry at was Donnie! He was being nothing but supportive. He wasn't even calling out on his lashing temper, which was kind of a first for them, and he actually stood up for him against Leo the other day. That was certainly different.

Growling furiously, he struck the dummy with a powerful kick sending it flying to the other side of the dojo. He was gripping the handles of the sais so tightly his knuckles were of a lighter shade of green, and he was panting heavily. Sweat was dripping down his body, and he briefly realized he would have to take a shower for the third time that day.

"Are you picturing my face in that dummy by any chance, Raphael?"

Raph snapped his head towards the door. He cursed inwardly, finding Sage leaning against the doorway with her arms crossed. What was she doing in the lair? And did she have to wear _that_?

Her white short-sleeved dress was form-fitting, clinging pleasantly to her every curve without being too showy. It was tighter around her waist and slightly looser on the skirt, stopping just above the knee, and his eyes were immediately drawn to her shapely legs and red pumps. As he looked higher, to her face, he bit down his tongue because her lips were crimson red, looking mighty delicious. He wanted to grab and devour her until she forgot how to breathe.

"What're ya doin' here?" he asked hotly.

Sage flashed him a scowl as she walked fully into the dojo, sliding the door shut. Her action sent warning bells off in his head, but he wasn't about to show her how nervous she made him feel by locking herself in the same room as him.

"I'm here because apparently you seem to have decided I wasn't important enough for you to waste your precious time protecting me," she said in a cold and accusing voice.

Raph flinched. He should've seen that one coming. "Don't go around puttin' words in my mouth, Sage, I nevah said yer not important."

"You might as well have," she hissed. "Why have you been avoiding me? Did I do something wrong? I thought it was rather clear how we both felt for each other but it seems I was mistaken!"

"Yeah, ya were!" Raph growled, feeling a thousand knives pierce through his heart with that blatant lie. "I was lonely dat night and ya just happened t' be around! I feel nothin' fer you and I definitely don't want you!"

The room fell into a heavy silence. He stood frozen to the ground, breathing quickly, his tired muscles twitching with the tension growing in his body. Sage's face was unreadable. He had no idea what was going through her mind. Damn his temper. He shouldn't have said that, he should've just told her to go away and leave him alone.

Sage suddenly started towards him. Each time her heels clacked against the wooden floor, Raph's heart jumped. He couldn't move. Before he had time to blink, she was grabbing his face and kissing him fiercely.

Raphael groaned into her mouth dropping the weapons so he could wrap his arms around her and pull her closer. She dug her nails into the flesh of his neck, nibbling demandingly on his lower lip, making him gasp. She took advantage of his surprise and deepened the kiss, brushing her tongue against his, coaxing it to play with hers, which he eagerly complied. When she moaned, shuddering against his plastron, he sent his self-control out the window.

Pinning her to the wall behind them, Raphael pulled her leg up and she promptly secured it around his waist, hooking her foot in his shell. He moved one hand under the hem of her dress, feeling the softness of her skin and the goosebumps his touch flourished in her. As he pulled back, Raph trailed his lips down her jaw and neck. He kissed the vein pulsating in the base of her throat, and then sunk is teeth into the gentle crook of her shoulder, biting harder when Sage arched her back against him, whimpering his name.

 _Shit!_ he cursed. He was going to lose his mind.

He kissed her again, lacing his fingers through hers as he pinned her hand above her head. Her other hand dropped from his neck and fell over the one he had on her thigh. She guided it up. Raphael threw his head back, shaking with need, moaning when he felt how warm she was and how much she really wanted him. Sage's husky laugh made his skin tingle.

"Yes, Raphael. I can see how much you really _don't_ want me," she purred.

"Shut up," he growled, blushing. "What de fuck you want from me, Sage?"

"I want many things for you," she breathed, trembling under his sultry darkening eyes. "I want you to touch and kiss me like this again. I want to feel all of you inside of me. I want you to make love to me for hours and repeat the next day, and the next, and the next..."

Raphael closed his eyes, groaning. The pressure in his shell was becoming a little too hard to bear and it was starting to throb very painfully. "Fuckin' shell, Sage, stop saying dose t'ings!"

"Why?" Sage pierced him, suddenly very sober. "Tell me why do you want me to stop and I'll stop."

"I can't be wit' you! Not like dis!" he said angrily. "Dere's people who's gonna get hurt because ov' me if I do dis, and even if dat wasn't enough ova reason, let's t'ink for a moment here."

Raph lowered her leg from him and brought both of his hands to her waist, frowning. "What kind ov' future you got wit' me, huh? Ya wanna get stuck down here in the sewers fer de rest ov' yer life? I can't take ya out on dates, or travel witcha. I can't meet yer family, or yer friends. I can't marry you. I don't even know if I can give ya kids but probably not! What is dere fer you if we do dis? Dere ain't nothin' Sage!"

She went quiet for a moment. Raph looked down at her and felt his heart clench. There were tears in her eyes. She was too stubborn to cry but they were still there. Her cheeks were flushed. Her lips swollen from his kisses and the crimson lipstick fading. Her curls were a mess because of his hands. Her shoulder was red from his teeth, and it was certainly going to bruise.

Sage was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, even when she was so sad. She was special and unique. She had a heart that knew no judgment or prejudice, and she accepted him whole-heartedly as he was. Which was exactly why he didn't want to burden her with everything being with him meant. Sage deserved so much more than what he had to give.

Her hand found its way to his chest, settling above his heart. Something in her eyes took his breath away.

"I would have you, Raphael," she whispered, and her voice was so soft he briefly wondered if he had imagined it, "and you would have me. We would have each other... isn't that enough? I don't want to get married again, and I don't need any more children. I have Damian - _we_ have Damian."

Sage closed her eyes, trying to hide her pain. "I don't know what I'm feeling, and I don't think you fully understand it either... but how can we find out if we don't try? I just want to be with you, Raphael, you woke something in me that I didn't know I still had after everything I went through."

"I ain't good enough fer you, Sage..." Raph said, his hands dropping from her waist and curling into fists.

"You don't get to be the judge of that!" She yelled, losing her temper. She pushed him away from her so there would be a safe distance between them, her eyes flashing with anger. "You could point out a million reasons for me no to be with you but the truth is you're just scared of letting me in. Admit it, Raphael - it terrifies you the fact that I can read you like an open book and I strip you of your every defense and make you aware of all your most inner hopes and desires!"

Sage tilted her chin defiantly, daring him to contradict her. "You're frightened because I make you feel so bloody human."

He staggered backwards. Frightened?

A wave of rage struck him, taking over his mind. Who was she to tell him he was scared? He was no coward! He feared nothing! Raph glowered down at her, his shoulders shaking with anger.

"I AM NOT HUMAN!" He growled, the sound thundering throughout the dojo and the silent lair. "I ain't never gonna be a fuckin' human an' that's the only fuckin' truth!"

Sage shook her head, disappointed. His seething anger didn't scare her, it only made her heart throb harder. And it made her deeply, so very deeply, sad. "Your heart is human whether you realize it or not," she said tiredly. "I guess I'm the only one who sees it..."

When he saw a stray tear escape, running down her cheek, he snapped out of his cloud-rage. He called out her name, reaching to touch her but she moved away from him, breaking his heart.

"I'm sorry I came. I'll take my leave now." Sage walked away. Stopping briefly at the door, she glanced over shoulder at him one last time. "We're still friends. Nothing's changed so please feel free to visit whenever you want. There's no reason for you to forsake your responsibilities or break what you promised to your brothers."

"Goodbye, Raphael," she muttered gently before leaving and closing the door behind her.

Alone, Raph felt his legs give in with his weight. He growled as he felt angry tears prickle his eyes. He punched the floor. What had he done? He was a fool. Sage had been nothing but kind to him and he had lost his head and yelled at her.

He punched the floor again.

Why did he say he wasn't human with so much spite? It was so cruel! He shouldn't have said that to her, she didn't deserve it. She only wanted to be with him. And he still...

Raphael punched the floor over and over again. He punched until his knuckles bled, yet he couldn't feel the sting of the wounds. The only pain he felt was of his aching heart, and he suddenly knew Sage was right - his heart was human. After all, love was a human emotion, and he loved her.

Howling with pain and grief, Raph hunched over himself, placing his forehead against the cool surface of the floor. He loved her! April was right; he did. Before he met her, his heart was angry and confused and so painfully empty. Now it wasn't. Even though he was aching, his heart was full of love. He loved her so much, and he just wanted her to be free to live the life she deserved, out in the sun with her friends and family, not down there with him.

It would destroy her.


	14. Chapter 14 - Brotherly Advice

**14\. Brotherly Advice**

" _Bond is stronger than blood. The family grows stronger by bond."_

 _\- Itohan Eghide_

The night was warm again. There were no clouds and the full moon smiled down at the city of New York.

Leonardo was sitting on the edge of a building swaying his legs back and forth, watching Sage from the wide window of the restaurant. It was his shift tonight but she had called earlier to tell him she was having dinner with her friends and she would probably be out until late too. So he watched over her from afar, keeping an eye out for trouble.

Under the dim lighting of the restaurant, Sage's skin glowed pleasantly, making the color of her eyes stand out. She looked lovely in her dark purple dress. Her hair was pinned up that night, displaying her gracious naked shoulders and the attractive curve of her neck.

Squinting his eyes, Leo noticed her shoulder was bruised. Anger bubbled in the back of his throat. He should kill whoever did that. Sage's skin was too beautiful to be treated with such harshness.

It looked painful. Didn't it hurt her?

One of her friends must've been thinking the same because she reached out to touch it. Sage stopped her. Something flashed through her eyes. She brought her own hand to it, her fingers traced the dark mark with a heart-warming gentleness that almost made him shudder. She was saying something to her friend, explaining how she got it perhaps. Leo wished he could read lips. He was dying to know, especially when her smile became so deeply sad.

A noise suddenly snapped him alert, prying his attention away from the window. Leo scanned the roof with watchful eyes. When he caught movement in the shadows, he unsheathed his blades assuming an offensive stance.

"Who is there?" Leo dared the intruder to face him.

A woman stepped out of the darkness. She was covered in black but her face was unmasked. He immediately recognized her shoulder length dark hair and her long face, where a pair of steel grey eyes met his.

"Hello, Leonardo."

His jaw clenched at sound of her alluring voice. "Karai," he hissed. "What are you doing here?"

"I know you're protecting the scroll. You and your annoying brothers," she drawled slowly. Her eyes darted to the building behind him briefly before returning to his and she smiled bitterly. "Or perhaps it's not the scroll you're protecting."

"What do you want with her?" Leo growled, widening his stance threateningly.

Karai scoffed, "I couldn't care less about your _girlfriend_ , Leonardo. My only interest is the scroll. Where are you keeping it? I need it!"

"Oh yeah? And what do you need it for, Karai?"

"You would like to know, wouldn't you? Too bad! It's nothing of your concern!"

"It is my concern if it endangers the people that I love." Leo took a step towards her. Seeing her move back gave him a strange sense of satisfaction. "What are you planning to do, Karai? I thought we had deal, we declared truce among our clans. Do you plan to dishonor our agreement?"

When he moved again, she found herself backed against a wall and cursed under her breath. Leo smirked.

"You left, Leonardo," Karai spat angrily. "A lot has changed in the time you've been gone!"

"Like what?" He asked demandingly.

Leo placed his hands on each side of her head, trapping her against the wall. A familiar flame lit inside the grey of her eyes. A part of him wanted to laugh. All that tough act about the scroll and what she truly wanted was to see him again. She could've easily escaped minutes ago, and yet she had let herself get caught by him, just like the night before he killed her father.

The memory of their kiss tried to claw its way out from the back of his mind but Leo forced it back into place. It had been a mistake. There was no need to go digging through the past because of a mistake.

 _Doesn't mean I can't take advantage of it._

Leo smirked darkly as he leaned closer to whisper in her ear, "are you going to tell me who you're working for, Karai?"

The female ninja closed her eyes, feeling his breath on her skin. Her name on his lips gave her a shiver, and she suddenly found it very hard to breathe. Damn Leonardo, she thought angrily, he always had such strong effects on her.

"What makes you think I'm working for someone?" She managed to coax out in a shaky voice.

His husky chuckle reverberated against her. "Of course you are," he purred, "there's always an evil master behind you. Who is he?"

"N-No one you k-know." She gasped softly as his lips trailed down her throat barely touching her skin yet burning her.

"Humm..." Leo closed the distance between them, his leg moving into the middle of her legs. Her nails dug into the back of his shell. "And the scroll, what is it for? Why are you after Sage?"

Karai snapped her eyes opened and shoved him off of her with a hurt growl. The smug look on his face made her want to rip out his annoyingly beautiful eyes.

"You're using me to gather information on how to save that wrench!"

The blad of his katana was at her neck before she even saw him move. A piece of her hair twirled down.

"Don't you dare call her that ever again!" Leo snarled.

"What is she to you, Leonardo?" She asked unfearful of the fact he could slit her thoar with a simple wave of his hand. "Is she so important that you would steep so low as to take advantage of someone you owe so much?"

"I owe you nothing, Karai!"

"You kissed me to distract me long enough to inject me with a tranquilizer strong enough to put down a horse!" She spat. "I couldn't save my father because of you!"

"I do not owe you for that! What fault do I have if you developed some sort of sick infatuation with me?!"

"Me?! YOU KISSED ME! You, Leonardo, not the other way around!"

"Oh fuck you, Karai!" Leo yelled, shaking with mild contained anger. "I only did it so we could get you out of the way! Who would want to kiss such a perfidy traitorous woman willingly?!"

Karai fell silent. Her face darkened with a different emotion: hate. She grabbed the sharp blade, it dug into her tender flesh, oozing thick blood. It trickled down the length of the katana as she moved it away from her neck.

"Tell me, Leonardo," she started, her voice drawling with a sickening sweetness, "does this woman of yours know the deaths tainting your soul? Have you told her how many women and children you killed when you were clouded by the bloodthirst my father awakened in you?"

Leo paled, now shaking by an entirely different reason. The screams of the lives he carried within him echoed in his ears, reminding him of everything he desperately was trying to erase.

His growing horror didn't move Karai's need of revenge. She continued, "and does she know how much of this monster is still inside of you, clawing to come out and play again? Oh what am I saying," she simpered. "Of course she doesn't! Because who would want to be near someone so disturbed, so scarred, so deeply damaged like you?"

"You're pathetic, Leonardo." Karai walked past him with a scornful sneer. "Heed my warning: you better find a way to return that scroll, or I might just tip off the men who are after her."

After Karai disappeared through the shadows, Leo barely had enough time to grab a trash can before he threw up everything in his stomach.

* * *

Mikey poked his head in Donnie's lab searching for his ingenious brother but with no luck. _Hummm!_ He tapped a finger to his chin thoughtfully, reeling his brain for ideas as to his brother's whereabouts.

Swinging a large backpack over his shoulder, he tried the kitchen next.

"There you are, Don!" Mikey chirruped cheerfully as he found Donnie getting dinner started and a somber looking Raph sitting at the table. They both glanced up when he walked in.

"Hey, Mikey." Donnie smiled. "Were you looking for me?"

"Yeah! I wanted to know where we put those really sappy, black and white movies April brought down here last year!"

Donnie scrunched his forehead, thinking. "Hum... I think they're in a box in Leo's room, he loves those movies... why?"

"I'm gonna do something for Sage," he said happily, grinning from ear to ear.

The hands Raphael had around a coffee mug shook faintly before he quickly tightened his grip, stopping them. Donatello watched his brother discreetly. The last thing he wanted was to alert Mikey about what was going on between their brother and Sage.

"What are you going to do? He asked as casually as possible, turning back to the vegetables he was chopping.

"She's been feeling kinda low lately," Mikey started, blissfully oblivious to his hot-tempered brother's flinch. "So I'm gonna surprise her with a movie marathon! I know how much she likes that kind of stuff, and she loves those movies too... I don't really like them but I'll watch them for her if it'll cheer her up!"

Donnie forced a smile for the sake of his younger brother's enthusiasm but it didn't reach his eyes. It was good enough for Mikey because, now having all the information he needed, he quickly skipped out of the kitchen, certainly to search for those movies.

Turning to glance down at Raphael, his heart squeezed. He had dark circles under his eyes. His face was slightly thinner and completely exhausted. He wasn't even wearing his mask today. His brother looked absolutely miserable.

"Are you okay, Raph?" Donnie tried gently.

Raph grunted, sipping his coffee. "'Am fine."

Donnie pursed his lips and decided on a different approach.

"I heard your fight with Sage a few days ago..." When his brother didn't seem to explode, he figured he was on the right path, he would just have to trail carefully. He cleared his throat. "Would you like to talk about it?"

"If ya heard, there ain't nothin' I can tell dat ya already don't know," he grumbled.

"I wasn't listening in on you, Raph, I just heard you two shouting at each other... and I heard the last thing you said..." Donnie explained. He stopped fumbling with the vegetables and turned around to lean against the counter and face his heart-broken brother instead. "Why would you tell her something like that? Sage has been nothing but wonderful to us-"

"I know dat!" Raph snapped, cutting him off. He shook his head, softening his voice, "I know, Don... I just, I don't know... exploded I guess..."

He sighed, running a shaking hand over his face. "I don't want her t' give up on de life she got fer me... it's gonna make her miserable if she does... I ain't worth all dat..."

Donnie frowned. "That's not true, Raph, and you don't know what the future has in store for the both of you. You can't just assume she'll be miserable. It's Sage's choice whether she wants to be be with you... and you and I both know she has already chosen."

"She's just sayin' dat 'cause she don't know what it means t' be wit' someone like me..." Raph argued, his voice laced with tiredness. "I t'ink even Mikey can make her happier dan a freakin' hothead like me..."

"Sage loves your hotheadedness, Raph. She told me so herself."

Raphael looked at his brother with an arched eye ridge. "Ya been talkin' t' Sage 'bout me?"

"Occasionally, I guess... She didn't tell me what's going on between you two if that's what you're implying," Donnie hurried to correct. "I got to that conclusion myself. It's really not hard to guess."

Raphael blushed despite himself. He supposed finding ways to always have body parts of themselves touching each other when in the same room was probably an obvious tell-tail sign.

He sighed. "We didn't do nothin' special..." he found himself confessing. "We just kissed..."

"Yeah, I figured. But from all that groaning and moaning I heard coming from the dojo, I think you could've probably gone for it because she would let you have your way with her," Donnie teased playfully to ease some of the tension, laughing when Raphael's cheeks became even redder.

"Shut up, Don!" Raph hissed but it was only half-felt. He hid his flustered face in his hands. "I don't even know if we can... y'know... do it or whatevah! I mean, is dat possible?"

Donatello chuckled, his hazel eyes dancing. "Sage asked me that, you know?"

Raph snapped his wide eyes to his brother. "What?!"

"Yeah. She came to me one day and openly asked me if we could have sex with humans. So I told her." Donnie shrugged as if trying to look casual but his cheeks were slightly tinged.

"You told her what exactly?" Raph drawled out suspiciously.

"I told her the truth. We are biologically compatible and we are certainly attracted to human women, more so than any other female species we've encountered. We work very much like a human," he explained, "but I also warned her it was only to a certain level, so she couldn't expect us to experience things the same way as she did."

"A'ight... and what she said?" Raph asked, squirming in his chair anxiously.

"You know Sage, she wanted to hear more about it." Donnie dragged out a chair and sat down in front of his brother. He propped his chin on his hand, smiling at the surprising reverse of rolls between them, and continued, "I explained that we still hold on to a lot of our animal DNA, which means we can be extremely territorial and possessive, and since we've developed different personalities it might work different with each of us. I also told her I had absolutely no idea to which extent our animal instinct to mate might, or might not, take over, and if it did she could get hurt."

Raphael pinched the bridge of his beak saying, "I know dat already. I bit her shoulder an' I'm pretty sure it bruised... It happened wit' some ov' de othah girls I been wit' but I nevah had such a strong urge before..."

"Raph, it's normal. Don't beat yourself over it," Donnie reassured. "The urge with Sage is more powerful because you have a deeper connection. It won't go away, I can tell you right now, and it's likely to get stronger the more connected you become."

"Oh dat's just fuckin' awesome," Raph groaned angrily. "One more t'ing to add t' de list ov' reasons why we shouldn't be together!"

Donnie scowled, shaking his head. "Sage doesn't care about that..."

"She's gonna care if I hurt her fer real!"

"You just have to be careful, Raph. She can handle the rest, I'm sure."

"She ain't gonna handle nothin' 'cause we ain't doin' it!" Raph argued. "I already made up my mind, Donnie."

"You're being an idiot," Donnie stated bashfully. "Sage is the most amazing woman on earth, and probably on the galaxy as well! Are you really going to let her go because of a bunch of petty excuses?"

"Petty excuses-"

"It's not just Mikey, Raph," he cut his brother off, looking at him with a stern face. "Leo is in love with Sage too. He's not going to back down either."

Raphael's shoulders began to shake and he gritted his teeth so hard the vein in his neck bulged.

"What de fuck? What is she, a fuckin' turtle magnet?!" He growled, his eyes burning with rage. "Mikey I can handle bein' wit' her but I ain't nevah gonna let Leo even lay a fuckin hand on her!"

Donnie scoffed. "Stop trying to deceive yourself, Raph, you can't handle Mikey either," he said. "Besides, she's not going to be with anyone else. I hardly think she's attracted to anyone but you."

The seething brother went quiet. Looking down at his hands, Raph's face darkened and he closed his eyes.

"What about anothah guy?" He suddenly asked, his whisper breaking the silence. "She probably got a thousand othah men fallin' at her feet, right? I mean... how couldn't she?"

"I can't answer that, but I can tell you one thing: if you don't make this work with Sage, there will never be anyone else for you. Look at me, Raph." Donnie paused, continuing only after his brother was focused entirely on him, "what you're feeling is not a silly crush. It's nothing like what I felt for April, do you understand? It won't go away no matter how hard you try."

"How do ya know? Raph breathed, his throat closing.

"Because I can see how you look at her. You love her more than anything, it's why you're willing to put aside your own happiness for the sake of hers... Mikey and Leo might say they're in love but true love is selfless, and they never even spared a moment to fully think about what Sage would have to sacrifice to be with them. But you did, Raph, and that sort of love leaves a mark so deep it will never stop aching."

He placed his hand over Raphael's. "Raph, she's willingly giving her heart and her life to you. You just have to take it."

* * *

Ingvar left the training room and headed straight to the bathroom in his room. He was drenched in sweat. He really needed a shower.

When the hot water fell over his head, he moaned in delight. The warmth almost made him shiver as it relaxed his stiff muscles and soothed the pain from his bruises. His brothers really had done a number on him. He was black and blue all over. Luckily, they allowed his face to stay intact.

 _Fucking Snorri!_

His foster brother was a beast and his inhumane strength wasn't wasted on him that was certain. There was very little in this world which could out power his raw force, but he could at least be humble about it and have mercy on his own brothers. Geir and Ingvar's powers could be used in a fight but they refrained to do it when sparring in the training room otherwise everyone would get caught in it. Still, Geir was a much better fighter than him so he always got off with less bruises.

It wasn't his fault if he had all the brains.

Stepping out of the shower, Ingvar wrapped a towel around his waist and returned to his bedroom. He fell on the bed with a tiresome sigh. He should get some sleep... His eyes shifted slowly towards the phone sitting on his bedside table. Sage burst through his mind and Ingvar gave another sigh, for another entirely different reason.

What a woman. Exactly how he expected and somehow even more. She looked way too much like his mother for him to feel anything else besides a harmless fondness and fascination but he had to admit - she was lovely. Ingvar was itching to talk to her again.

 _Should I call her? Or should I wait until she calls me?_

A voice in his head laughed telling him he was a fool if he thought she was going to call him. Ingvar had seen it in her eyes; she was in love. And very much conflicted too. But that didn't mean she couldn't go out and enjoy herself in the company of a gentleman, like she had called him.

Decided, Ingvar picked up his phone and dialed her number. When her silky voice met his ear, he smiled.

"Hello, Sage."


End file.
